MacGregor wins RoRo equipment order for TT-Line’s 2 new Baltic ferries

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MacGregor has secured contracts from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard to supply RoRo cargo handling equipment for TT-Line’s two Green Ship 2.0 battery hybrid LNG ferries, adding a major equipment package to the German operator’s next fleet renewal programme.

The order, announced on September 2, was booked in MacGregor’s second quarter 2026 orders received. The company did not disclose the contract value or provide a detailed breakdown of the individual equipment covered by the package.

Both vessels are being built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, China. At about 240 metres long, each ferry will provide 5,400 lane metres of freight capacity and accommodation for up to 1,000 people.

The ships are intended for TT-Line’s Baltic Sea network connecting Sweden, Germany, Poland and Lithuania, where freight capacity and rapid port turnaround are central to ferry economics.

MacGregor described the contract as one of its most extensive RoPax equipment scopes to date.

RoRo equipment forms a critical part of a ferry’s cargo operation. Ramps, doors, internal access systems and associated equipment determine how efficiently trucks, trailers and other rolling cargo can move between the quay and the vessel’s vehicle decks.

For an operator running scheduled services, minutes alongside matter. Increasing vessel capacity brings limited benefit if loading and discharge cannot keep pace, particularly on routes where vessels work to tight departure windows.

TT-Line Managing Director Bernhard Termühlen said reliable cargo handling systems were important to the Green Ship 2.0 programme because of their role in improving port turnaround and maintaining service levels for freight and passenger customers.

The latest agreement follows a project development process that MacGregor said began in 2021. The equipment supplier said experience from earlier TT-Line fleet projects had been incorporated into the new designs, including changes aimed at equipment reliability and project execution.

MacGregor Executive Vice President for Merchant Solutions Magnus Sjöberg said teams in Sweden, China, Poland, Germany and Croatia had worked on the integrated cargo handling solution.

TT-Line confirmed in July that it had ordered the second Green Ship 2.0, following the first newbuilding announced at the end of 2025.

Each ship will offer 5,400 lane metres of freight capacity. TT-Line lists passenger capacity at 930 passengers, while the vessels are designed to accommodate up to 1,000 people on board.

The first Green Ship 2.0 is expected to enter Baltic Sea service before summer 2030.

The newbuildings represent another capacity step from TT-Line’s existing LNG powered Nils Holgersson and Peter Pan, which entered service in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The larger freight decks are particularly relevant for TT-Line’s accompanied and unaccompanied trailer business across the southern Baltic. The company links ports in Germany, Sweden, Poland and Lithuania, placing the new vessels within established European road and short sea freight corridors.

The two vessels will use LNG hybrid propulsion combined with lithium iron phosphate battery energy storage.

TT-Line has specified battery capacity of between 5.5 MWh and 10 MWh, with additional battery rooms prepared so capacity can be expanded later. The electrical architecture is intended to support greater electrification during the ships’ operating lives.

The batteries are designed to allow electric operation during port stays and manoeuvring. Upgraded shore power connections will also support high capacity battery charging while the vessels are alongside.

TT-Line has said the ships are ultimately designed to support fully electric operation if sufficient battery capacity and supporting infrastructure become available.

The configuration reflects a broader challenge facing ferry operators. Unlike deep sea vessels, ferries repeatedly return to fixed terminals, making them better suited to shore power and battery charging. At the same time, their schedules require propulsion systems capable of maintaining regular crossings regardless of charging opportunities or port conditions.

Each Green Ship 2.0 will also have two 500 cubic metre LNG tanks.

The programme extends TT-Line’s relationship with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, which also built Nils Holgersson and Peter Pan.

Those ships are about 230 metres long, while the Green Ship 2.0 design increases overall length to approximately 240 metres and raises freight capacity to 5,400 lane metres.

Danish naval architecture company OSK Design developed the contract design for the new generation vessels, continuing its involvement with TT-Line’s Green Ship concept.

For MacGregor, the contracts provide equipment exposure across two high capacity RoPax newbuildings while creating a longer term service relationship after delivery. The company said the package was developed to support the equipment throughout the vessels’ operating lifecycle.