Szczecin: the first Polish ferry Jantar Unity baptized

Saturday afternoon, January 17th, in the center of Szczecin, there was a christening ceremony of the ferry Jantar Unity – a new Ro-Pax type unit built in the Polish shipyard as part of the national ferry fleet renewal programme. Today's ceremony was a symbolic culmination of several years of investment process.

Baptism in the heart of a city with a sea identity

Today, on board Jantar Unity, which has been mooring at the foot of Wałów Chrobry in Szczecin for two days, was held a press conference dedicated to the design of the new ferry. The baptism ceremony of the unit was then organized in the immediate vicinity of the mooring site, on the representative wharf of the Chrobry Wals. The event brought together representatives of the government, the shipowner, the shipbuilding plant that he built ferry, and the maritime administration, as well as the numerous residents.

During a press conference on board Jantar Unity Mr Arkadiusz Marchewka, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Mr Piotr Krzystek, President of Szczecin, Mr Paweł Pluto-Przedzyński, Director of Unity Line – Branch of Poland, Mr Dariusz Doczko, Chief Executive Officer of Polish Maritime Shipping, Mr Adam Kowalski, Captain of the Ferry Jantar Unity, and Adam Ruszkowski, President of the Board of Remontowa Holding.

After the press conference ended, the symbolic moment of naming the unit took place in a traditional ceremonial setting. The godmother of the ferry Jantar Unity became Miłosława Błaszyk-Zjawińska, director of the Management Division in PGM in Szczecin. In the evening, after the official part of the event, a multimedia lighting setting was prepared, which is a separate element of the program.

The day after the ceremony the unit will be made available to residents Szczecin as part of an open day, which will allow you to look on board a ferry which will soon begin regular service.

From contract to operational readiness

Jantar Unity was established at Gdańsk Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Yard owned by Remontowa Holding. Contract for the construction of the modern series ferryRo-Pax for Polish shipowner was signed as part of the renewal program of the ferry fleet implemented by Polish Promy.

The construction process of the first unit of the series lasted several years and included both design stage and complex hull work, equipment and integration of propulsion and hotel systems. Last fall Jantar Unity He began sea trials in the Baltic, which took off on September 15. During these tests, the work of the gym was tested under full load, manoeuvring systems, navigation devices and safety installations.

After completion of sea trials and technical receptions, the unit was formally transferred to the contracting authority, In the realities of the mature Baltic Sea ferry market with a competitive advantage, the load capacity itself is less and less often determined. For logistics operators and customers, predictability of operations, repetitive port manoeuvres and stable operation of power and propulsion systems are key. The punctuality of entering and exiting ports and rational energy management cease to be an addition – today they are one of the foundations of efficient operation modern ferryed.

Port tests and first wraps

After leaving Gdansk ferry he underwent manoeuvring trials in the ports of Trelleborg and Ystad, and then first rolled to Świnoujście, where cooperation with terminal infrastructure was checked. These tests confirmed the unit's ability to regularly operate the Świnoujście–Trelleborg connection, which remains one of the key transport corridors in the southern Baltic.

Modern Ro-Pax Unit

Jantar Unity This ferry with a length of 195.6 m and a width of 32.2 m, offering approximately 4100 m of load line. The unit was designed for freight and passenger transport, capable of carrying about 400 passengers on board, with a crew of nearly 50 people.

The drive is based on four liquefied natural gas engines, assisted by a hybrid battery system. The use of azimutal propulsors on the stern and stream rudders on the bow significantly improves maneuverability in ports, which is important in intensive linear operation.

In the realities of the mature Baltic Sea ferry market with a competitive advantage, the load capacity itself is less and less often determined. For logistics operators and customers, predictability of operations, repetitive port manoeuvres and stable operation of power and propulsion systems are key. The punctuality of entering and exiting ports and rational energy management cease to be an addition – today they are one of the foundations of efficient modern operation ferrys.

In the mature ferry market of the Baltic Sea, the advantage is increasingly due to the transport parameters themselves. The predictability of operations, the repetitiveness of port manoeuvres and the stable operation of propulsion and energy systems are crucial. It is these features in practice that determine the punctuality, safety and cost-effectiveness that are important for both logistics operators and ports operating intensive ferry traffic today.

POLSCA and new ferry market architecture

Jantar Unity swims in POLSCA Baltic Ferries colours – a common brand created by Unity Line and Polferries. A letter of intent to establish a new structure was signed on 16 May in Szczecin, which symbolically links the city with a project whose material effect is today baptized ferry.

As stressed at the occasion of the inauguration of the POLSCA brand, the aim of the project is to strengthen the position of Polish operators in the competitive ferry transport market and a consistent replacement of the fleet for new generation units.

Meaning beyond one unit

Baptism Jantar Unity It's not just the completion of a single ferry. It is also a clear signal that the Polish shipbuilding industry has retained the ability to implement complex civilian projects of strategic transport importance. Subsequent units of the series are already at an advanced stage of construction, and the experience gained in the implementation of the first ferry will be percentaged on subsequent contracts.

For Szczecin, this event became an opportunity to remind his maritime identity. For the shipbuilding industry – proof that Polish ferries return not only to the Baltic but also to national shipyards.