New cargo and passenger ship Aura Seaways

The newest and largest cargo and passenger ship of the leading European ferry operator DFDS, Aura Seaways, made its first voyage on the Klaipeda-Karlshamn route last weekend.

“The Aura Seaways is the first ship since 1982 that DFDS built for itself. We have set a target of reducing our carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 - the launch of a new environmentally friendly ship is an important milestone on this journey. Aura Seaways meets the new environmental performance standards EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) and its carbon footprint is one-fifth smaller than our current ships, ”explained Anders Refsgaard, DFDS Vice President and Head of Baltics.

“We have never had such a big ship in the Baltics. In terms of cargo volumes, it is probably the largest ro-pax ship in the Baltic Sea. The Aura Seaways car deck can accommodate 4.5 kilometers of vehicles. The additional capacity will help to serve the growing volumes of goods more conveniently and faster, but also to the number of ordinary passengers who have grown exponentially in recent years, ”said Peeter Ojasaar, Head of DFDS Estonia.

For the convenience of passengers, Aura Seaways has a separate dining and lounge area on board. Compared to DFDS's current vessels, the new vessel also has more passenger areas and modern solutions that take into account the needs of both drivers and regular passengers. Aura Seaways has three restaurants, three bars, a shop, a children’s playground and spacious lounges.

Journey to the home port under armed guard

Completed at the end of last year at the Chinese shipyard and launched on its way home, Aura Seaways travelled more than 11,000 nautical miles in 28 days.

"The trip from China to Lithuania was very exciting, because we don't usually go through such long journeys. The Gulf of Aden, the Suez Canal and the Straits of Malacca are undoubtedly places of excitement for every sailor. The journey was generally smooth. Minor technical challenges occurred, which are common in a ship that has just left the factory, ”described Vytautas Valteras, the captain of Aura Seaways and a long-term DFDS employee, on his way home.

However, the ship leaving the factory had to make changes to its original schedule and undergo a 120-mile detour to avoid a typhoon. Off the coast of Somalia, en route to the Suez Canal, the ship was armed to protect it from terrorist and pirate attacks. To ensure security, there were also strict rules of procedure on board.

The ship, which was moored in the home port of Klaipeda on January 17, passed the necessary preparations for embarkation on the route within a week and was inspected by the Lithuanian and Danish Maritime Administration. Aura Seaways started its first official voyage to Sweden on January 23 with 330 passengers and 3,000 m / l of goods on board.

DFDS is a European maritime transport and logistics company operating on more than 20 routes in the Western, North and Mediterranean as well as the English Channel. The Estonian branch of DFDS belongs to the DFDS Group and serves the Paldiski-Kapellskär line on a daily basis.

Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MhLFAFzD8P2wmere7

Aura Seaways
Year of construction: 2021
Length: 230 meters
Width: 32 meters
Freight capacity: 4500 line meters
Capacity: 600
Unladen weight: 12 750 tonnes