World's biggest electric ferry to connect Finland and Estonia by the 2030s

Finnish shipping company Viking Line has unveiled plans for Helios, the world’s largest fully electric passenger-car ferry, designed to operate emission-free between Helsinki and Tallinn by the 2030s. Measuring 640 feet long and 98 feet wide, Helios will carry up to 2,000 passengers, 650 cars, and two kilometers of freight. Powered entirely by batteries with a capacity of 85 to 100 megawatt-hours—several times larger than any existing passenger ship’s battery—the ferry will complete the 43-nautical-mile crossing in just over two hours at 23 knots. The vessel will recharge at ports using over 30 MWh of power per docking, supported by infrastructure upgrades underway at the Port of Helsinki. Helios is part of the FIN-EST Green Corridor initiative, aiming to establish a fully emission-free maritime route between Finland and Estonia. Viking Line, which has a history of maritime innovation including LNG/biogas-powered Viking Grace and the climate-smart Viking Glory, plans to order two such electric ships to double capacity on this busy route. Passenger traffic between Helsinki’s West Harbor and Tallinn is projected to more than double by 2040, with cargo volumes also rising significantly. Viking Line’s CEO Jan Hanses emphasized that emission-free technology is essential to meet growing demand while complying with tightening EU emissions regulations and rising carbon costs, marking a new era in sustainable maritime transport.