A new passenger ferry being built for Swedish operator
Rederi AB Gotland is to be fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and feature a Wärtsilä integrated solution. It is set to be the world's first LNG-fuelled high-speed ro-pax ferry and the first Swedish-flagged LNG-powered passenger vessel.
The Wärtsilä integrated solution includes a complete LNG-powered propulsion and fuel storage and supply system, as well as comprehensive project services.
The vessel is being built at the Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) yard in China and, when delivered, is scheduled to sail between the Swedish mainland and the island of Gotland. GSI placed the contract with Wärtsilä in November.
By operating on LNG, Wärtsilä says the new 200-metre-long ferry will comply with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO's) Tier III regulations regarding emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), adding that it will meet the sulphur (SOx) emissions limitations required for operating in the North Europe's Emission Control Areas (ECAs), while emissions of particulates will also be reduced to virtually zero. In addition to its compliance with emissions legislation, the ferry will also meet the requirements of the IMO's recently agreed IGF Code regarding the safety of LNG-fuelled ships, Wärtsilä said.
"This vessel will have a minimal environmental footprint and we are proud to be working with Wärtsilä to make this possible. Wärtsilä's know-how and experience with gas fuelled vessels is unmatched in the industry," commented Mr
Håkan Johansson, Managing Director of Rederi AB Gotland.
Wärtsilä and GSI have cooperated for several years on projects involving various types of vessels. However, this is the first project between the companies involving an LNG-fuelled ship.
In addition to the complete LNG-powered propulsion and fuel and storage system, the Wärtsilä integrated solution will include services relating to project management, integration engineering, on-site support and overall commissioning responsibility.
According to Wärtsilä, its selection for the supply of a significant portion of the ship's equipment, as well as for the project services, was based on the company's experience in gas-powered propulsion and "its capability to supply everything needed for operating on gas fuel, from the bunkering stations to the propulsion solutions. No other company is able to match this experience."
Wärtsilä's scope of responsibility includes four Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines, two gearboxes, two controllable pitch propellers (CPPs) with remote control system, two Energopac rudders, two tunnel thrusters, four Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary generating sets, two Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel gas handling systems, gas valve units, a compact silencer system (CSS), an IMO approved Wärtsilä Aquarius UV ballast water management system, an Oily Water Separator together with a Bilge Water Guard to monitor and prevent oily water being discharged to the sea, project management services, integration engineering services, commissioning services and on-site supervision during installation. Delivery of the Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled to begin at the end of 2015 and the ship is expected to be in operation in 2017.
"Rederi AB Gotland will introduce a ground-breaking vessel design for its crown route, and Wärtsilä is proud to take a large share of the responsibility for its accomplishment. Together with Guangzhou Shipyard International in China and Danish designers OSK-Shiptech, we will realise the first of an entirely new generation of fast, yet environmentally sound RoPax ferries. Not only will Wärtsilä deliver the entire LNG fuel handling and power and propulsion system, we will also provide comprehensive project management services, such as integration engineering, on-site support and extended commissioning. We believe that this combination is a key success factor for this and other challenging ship building projects. It highlights Wärtsilä's position as the marine industry's leading provider of integrated solutions," said
Wilco van der Linden, Director Business Development, Merchant Cruise and Ferry at Wärtsilä Solutions.
The ship has been designed to carry approximately 1650 passengers and to meet classification society DNV GL's high comfort ratings for climate, noise and vibrations.
The Wärtsilä LNGPac comprises onboard liquid natural gas bunkering, two storage tanks, and handling equipment with related safety and automation systems. The systems have been developed by Wärtsilä.
The solution also includes a patented cold recovery system, which utilizes the latent heat of LNG for the air conditioning systems. By reducing electrical consumption from the cooling compressors, the cold recovery system is said to bring "significant operational savings" and increased overall efficiency.
