Our Way 2/22 1
WALLENIUS SOL has launched its first two vessels
amid much fanfare. Botnia Enabler and her sister vessel Baltic Enabler are not only the world’s largest multifuel-driven, ice class ConRo vessels – they are set to transform the way cargo is shipped to and from the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Bothnia. “T Kemi Oulu Skellefteå Kokkola Pietarsaari Kaskinen WALLENIUS SOL´s ports in the north of Sweden and Finland are strategically placed to cater to the massive industrial boom taking place right now. his is a huge step forward,” says Katarina Norén, Director General of the Swedish Maritime Administration (Sjöfartsverket), who attended the grand launch ceremony for the Botnia Enabler in September. “Not only is the concept groundbreaking, but it will also have a major impact in the North of Sweden.” Katarina Norén Director General, the Swedish Maritime Administration Result of strong partnership At 242 metres long, Botnia Enabler and Baltic Enabler are the largest multifuel-driven, ice class ConRo vessels in the world. The ship design and new building project was led by Wallenius Marine. WALLENIUS SOL was founded in 2019 as a joint venture between Wallenius Lines and Swedish Orient Line (SOL). “Our mission from the outset was to build a new vessel class for the Baltic Sea,” says WALLENIUS SOL’s Managing Director, Ragnar Johansson. “SOL had the industry contacts, we knew they had a capacity deficit, and Wallenius had the shipbuilding expertise.” Ragnar Johansson Managing Director, WALLENIUS SOL Covid complications What complicated matters was the arrival of the pandemic, which made travel between Sweden and China quite the ordeal, and partly requiring inspections to be done remotely, resulting in a nine-month delivery delay. Another thing that had to be done remotely was the software installations. “SOYA IT deserves immense praise for installing the IT infrastructure and performance monitoring OUR WAY 2/2022 5