Yards

Positive progress for Rauma shipyard

Established in the summer of 2014 to continue the shipbuilding traditions in the city of Rauma on the southwestern coast of Finland, the RMC shipyard (Rauma Marine Constructions Oy) has recently received quite a few orders for new RoPax ferries and government vessels, including four corvettes for the Finnish navy.

Rauma Marine Constructions’ order book surpassed 1 billion euros in 2019. Business is booming at the Rauma shipyard. Other sections of the Finnish marine industry are also doing pretty well, with the revenue increased by nearly 10 percent in 2018.

Currently, the Rauma shipyard is in the process of constructing car and passenger ferries, as well as government vessels. Even further projects are on the horizon.

MULTIPURPOSE CORVETTES ORDERED FOR THE NAVY

In late September of 2019, the Finnish Defence Forces and RMC shipyard in Rauma signed a contract for building four new navy corvettes. The contract is worth almost 700 million euros.

The new vessels will eventually replace seven other naval ships. Their final design is already underway in Rauma. Shipbuilding work will be started in 2022, with deliveries to the Finnish navy to be completed by 2028.

Multipurpose corvettes are by definition capable of combat against surface vessels and submarines, as well as of anti-aircraft activity. They can also take command of various types of naval operations.

RMC will also oversee the integration of the combat systems and propulsion equipment for the vessels, in cooperation with the system suppliers Saab and Aker Arctic Technology Oy.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CAR AND PASSENGER FERRY

Furthermore, Wasaline’s new ferry – to be named ’Aurora Botnia’ – is under construction at RMC shipyard and will be delivered to the operator in the spring of 2021. The keel laying of this vessel was celebrated in February 2020.

After delivery, the new ferry will operate between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden. The construction of the vessel will have a substantial positive effect on employment, totaling some 800 person- years.

The new car and passenger (RoPax) ferry was ordered by Kvarken Link, a company co-owned by the city of Vaasa and the municipality of Umeå. The ferry will be able to carry 800 passengers and will have a freight capacity of 1,500 lane metres for cargo. The ferry will replace the Wasa Express, now operating between Vaasa and Umeå.

The construction of the ship started at Rauma shipyard in September 2019. The launching of the ship will take place in the autumn of 2020. The whole shipbuilding project is worth around 120 million euros.

The new ferry will be the first ever RoPax ferry with a Clean Design class notation. The vessel will have a hybrid power generation system, as well as an electric propulsion system rarely used in car and passenger ferries. These innovations make the ship an exceptionally environmentally friendly RoPax ferry.

The four main engines supplied by Wärtsilä will run on both liquified natural gas and liquefied biogas. With the aid of this technology, emissions in the Kvarken region of the Gulf of Bothnia can be decreased.

NETWORKED OPERATIONS ENHANCE PROFITABILITY

Rauma Marine Constructions considers the main cornerstone of Rauma shipyard’s success to be RMC’s current operating model, with enhanced project management and extensive cooperation with the shipyard’s network of partners.

This network model is based on long-term strategic partnerships in the marine industry chain. Many of the cooperative partner corporations are strategically located at the industrial park close to RMC shipyard. This type of operating model ensures flexibility and keeps fixed expenses at a reasonable level.

In accordance with the operating model, a team of experts from the shipyard’s network of partners is hand-picked for each project. RMC is then responsible for project management, finances and quality assurance.

In RMC’s view, innovativeness is the Finnish marine industry’s best asset in the export markets. The industry’s environmental targets – to reduce carbon emissions, for example – have created a high demand for innovative thinking in shipbuilding and ship design.

By: Ari Mononen
photos: Rauma Marine Constructions Oy