![Photo: Knud E. Hansen](http://media.assettype.com/bairdmaritime%2Fimport%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F200106-4-Knud-E-Hansen.jpg?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
AVIC Weihai Shipyard has been awarded a contract to construct two Ro-Pax ferries in a series for Grimaldi Group subsidiary Finnlines.
The Knud E. Hansen-designed vessels will each have a length of 229.5 metres, a beam of 33.6 metres, hybrid propulsion, and capacity for 1,212 passengers and 5,100 lanemetres for freight.
Construction on the new ferries is expected to be completed in 2023. These will replace two older vessels on Finnlines' Kapellskär-Långnäs-Naantali route.
Each newbuild will cost approximately US$135 million.