Foreship, the naval
architecture and marine engineering company of RINA, has developed a new ferry
concept tailored to the specific operational and economic requirements of the
Greek domestic market, with a focus on efficiency, simplicity and cost control.
Greece’s ferry
network is one of the most extensive in Europe, connecting more than 200
inhabited islands and transporting around 50 million passengers annually. At
the same time, operators are working within a highly constrained environment,
shaped by strong seasonality, regulated pricing and increasing pressure on
operating costs, alongside the need to renew an ageing fleet.
Ari Huttunen,
Marine Design & Engineering Projects Principal Consultant at Foreship, said, “This new
vessel concept has been developed in response to the specific challenges of the
Greek market, with a focus on optimising both capital and operating
expenditure. The design integrates all essential functionalities for safe and
reliable operations, while avoiding unnecessary complexity, resulting in a
robust and economically sustainable vessel.”
The vessel has also been conceived in line with the latest regulatory
developments, including updated stability requirements that are reshaping ferry
design across Europe and influencing aspects such as dimensions and passenger
capacity. These changes have been taken into account from the early design
stages, ensuring the concept remains aligned with the evolving framework.