Finnish technology group Wärtsilä announced it will supply the engines, the navigation system, and a broad scope of other products and systems for a new environmentally friendly ferry being built for the Finland-based Viking Line.
The ship is being built at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry yard in China and there is an option for a second vessel.
As informed, Wärtsilä will deliver six 31DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on LNG, which are expected to create low operating costs and a minimal environmental footprint.
Wärtsilä will also supply its LNGPac fuel storage and supply system and an advanced Compact Silencer System (CSS), high quality bow thrusters, the ballast water management system (BWMS), and its Nacos Platinum integrated navigation system. The Nacos Platinum system integrates various functions into a single system, allowing the vessel to be navigated, controlled, and monitored from several onboard positions, thus providing flexibility.
The recently launched Wärtsilä SmartPredict system is also included in the overall scope and is designed to display the vessel’s predicted future position and heading, by evaluating wind and sea forces.
“A new era in ferry operations was established in 2013 when Viking Line’s ‘Viking Grace’ with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines became the world’s largest RoPax ferry to operate on LNG fuel. This latest Viking project represents another milestone as it will be the first vessel fitted with the highly efficient Wärtsilä 31DF engines,” says Roger Holm, President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
Commencing in early 2021, the new vessel will operate across the Baltic Sea between Turku, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. The ship is the first LNG fueled ferry of this size and standard to be built in China.
