---

Valmet - a developer and supplier of technologies, automation and services for the pulp, paper and energy industries - has announced that it will be supplying an automation system for the new-generation, liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered fast ferry for the Tallinn-Helsinki route shuttle operations between Estonia and Finland.

The vessel is to be built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, and will be operated by Tallink. The automation system is scheduled to be delivered in April 2016. The order was included in Valmet's second quarter 2015 orders received.

"We have had very good experience with the performance of Valmet's automation system on other Tallink vessels as well as with high-level service support available both in Finland and Estonia," commented Andres Lepik, Tallink's project manager for the new vessel.

"Our automation system well supports the operation of this highly advanced and environmentally friendly LNG-powered car-passenger ferry," remarked John Weierud, Director, Marine Automation, Valmet.

The new ship will be 212 metres in length and have a passenger capacity of 2,800, a gross tonnage of 49,000 and service speed of 27 knots. It is to use LNG as fuel and comply with the new and stricter emission regulations for the Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The ship is due to be delivered at the beginning of 2017.

The automation system for the ship will be a Valmet DNA distributed control system. According to Valmet, it is "a powerful and fully redundant system designed to handle the control and monitoring needs of even the largest and most complex vessels".

The automation will control and monitor the machinery systems and the electric power management system, and include an emergency shutdown system (ESD). The latter is a standalone system based on the same Valmet DNA system platform. Valmet's engineering team will handle the project from detailed design, programming and testing to onboard commissioning and completed sea trials.