Following a competitive bidding process, Estonia has selected the Polish shipyard CRIST to design and build a new inter-island ferry. The contract is valued at €49.93 million (approximately $58.35 million), and the vessel is expected to be delivered and enter passenger service by the end of 2028.
This type of ferry can carry up to 380 passengers and 110 cars or 8 trucks. The new vessel will primarily rely on shore power, with battery storage providing electricity during navigation. To address emergencies, it will be equipped with auxiliary generators fueled by biodiesel. According to the plan, the new ferry will officially enter service following the decommissioning of the current standby ferry, the “Regula.”
On June 12, 2024, the Estonian State Fleet (ESF) launched its first international tender for the design and construction of this type of ferry; in September, it entered into negotiations with four European shipyards, conducting a total of three rounds of consultations to finalize the terms of the construction contract. As of March 16, 2025, the ESF had received two final bids, one from the Polish shipyard CRIST and the other from the consortium of Baltic Workboats and Vakarų Baltijos Laivų Statykla.
Estonian Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis noted that during the bidding process, the quote submitted by the Polish shipyard CRIST was in line with current market conditions. The Estonian government had initially estimated the cost of the vessel at €41.9 million. The additional funding required for the shipbuilding contract will come from carbon emission allowance revenues, with €28 million to be provided by the European Union Modernization Fund.
According to records, the Polish shipyard CRIST has over 30 years of shipbuilding experience. Its core business includes the construction of specialty vessels, offshore structures, and steel structures. The yard is equipped with large-scale shipbuilding facilities such as dry docks and gantry cranes, and has previously built and delivered electric ice-class ferries such as the “Altera” and the “Elektra.”