New Smiltynė Ferry Terminal ferry is about to be completed
A ceremony to mark the joining of two Smiltynė Ferry Terminal ferry hull blocks took place on 8 April. This event signifies the commencement of a new stage of the vessel construction. According to the press center of Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the new ferry is scheduled to be released to water in July.
A contract worth EUR 6.5 million between the company Smiltynės perkėla AB and Western Baltija Shipbuilding, part of Western Shipyard group, was signed in May 2020 and the works started in September. The entire project, from design to construction and delivery to the client, is performed by Western Shipyard group companies operating in Lithuania.
“Passenger traffic crossing the lagoon is constantly growing and so does our responsibility towards our passengers. Per year, over 2 million passengers cross Smiltynė Ferry Terminal and we transport more than 700 thousand vehicles. The new ferry will without a doubt improve the quality of our services,” Smiltynės perkėla AB General Director Mindaugas Čiakas said.
Smiltynė Ferry Terminal is to house the new universal 60 metres long and 14 metres wide passenger and freight ferry. Its capacity reaches up to 1000 passengers or at least 40 cars and 600 passengers. The vessel is to have modern equipment compliant with the strictest safety and fire safety requirements. This project is unique in that this ferry is constructed based on specific Smiltynės perkėla AB needs. The ferry is to service both Old and New Ferry terminals.
A traditional keel laying ceremony marks a new stage of the vessel construction. During the ceremony a plate carrying the names of vessel clients and contractors, along with two corresponding national coins (in this case, euro coins with Vytis on the obverse sides), is welded between the vessel blocks to be joined.
Western Baltija Shipbuilding, currently building a German coast guard vessel, previously built a ready-to-operate Klaipėda University research vessel Mintis, the first, 103-meter-long, fishing vessel Gitte Henning in independent Lithuania, and one of the first European Offshore Supply ships Wind Lift-1.