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STX Finland Oy and Viking Line ABP have signed a preliminary agreement for the construction of an environmentally friendly, new generation cruise ferry which is expected to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel.

The agreement includes an option for a sister ship. The price of the vessel will be around 240 million euros, and it will be built at Turku shipyard, Finland, for delivery in the beginning of 2013.

The new cruise ferry will be approximately 210 metres in length with a gross tonnage of 57,000. It will have a top speed of close to 23 knots and be designed to hold 2800 passengers and be operated by a 200-member crew.

The vessel, which is said to be full of innovative and new solutions, includes 870 passenger cabins, almost 1300 lane-metres for trucks and a separate car deck with approximately 500 lane-metres for passenger cars. Additional room for passenger cars will be found on the hoistable car decks.

According to STX Finland, the new cruise ferry will be the most environmentally friendly big passenger vessel to date. The aim is for the ship to use LNG as fuel.

"The ship has no marine emissions and its aerial emissions are extremely low. The ship has been specially designed to operate in the delicate and shallow-water archipelago environment. The wave forming and noise generation have been minimised," STX Finland said in a statement.

Commenting on the agreement, President of STX Finland Oy, Juha Heikinheimo commented, "I'm extremely delighted with this project and the continuation of cooperation with Viking Line. When the ship is completed, it will be highly innovative and the most environmentally friendly cruise ferry in the world. Special attention has been given on ensuring that the ship creates pleasant passenger experiences".

The design of the new ship will start immediately at Turku shipyard, and the actual construction is due to begin in the autumn of 2011.

Once completed, the new ferry will operate on a route between Turku and Stockholm.