Helsinki based Finnlines has announced the launch of a twice weekly freight ferry Ro-Ro service linking Rosslare with Zeebrugge with the first sailing scheduled to take place on 23 July. The 3,259 lane-metre Finnpulp vessel will be deployed on this service, adding almost 1,000 trailer slots to the network of services into and out of the County Wexford port.
Using Zeebrugge as a hub export trailers from Ireland can reach the Finnish ports of Helsinki and Kotka, Paldiski in Estonia and Travemunde in Germany.
The opening of the Rosslare service has been facilitated by the delivery of a fleet of three environmentally friendly vessels from its Chinese builders and which are taking up service on the Line’s ‘Biscay’ service linking Northern and Southern Europe. Finnlines is a member of the Grimaldi Shipping Group, and the company also operates a twice weekly service to Zeebrugge from Ringaskiddy under the Grimaldi name.
The arrival of Finnlines brings to six the number of ferry service operators working out of Rosslare. The Lines and services include: –
| Line | Destination | Weekly frequency | Vessel type |
| Irish Ferries | Pembroke | 14 | Cruise Ferry |
| Stena Line | Fishguard | 14 | Cruise Ferry |
| Finnlines | Zeebrugge | 2 | Freight Ferry |
| DFDS | Dunkirk | 6 | Ro-Pax (1) |
| Stena Line | Cherbourg | 6 | Ro-Pax/Freight |
| Brittany Ferries | Le Havre | 1 | Freight Ferry |
| Brittany Ferries | Cherbourg | 1 | Ro-Pax |
| Neptune Lines | Santander | 1 | Freight Ferry (2) |
| Brittany Ferries | Bilbao | 2 | Ro-Pax (3) |
Notes:
- DFDS does not, at present, carry passengers other than freight drivers.
- Neptune Lines carry a limited amount of freight aboard its Car Carrying vessel back to Santander.
- Brittany Ferries will deploy a Cruise Ferry on its Cherbourg and Bilbao routes from Rosslare in November, considerably increasing freight and passenger capacity on those routes.
 Howard Knott