Image credit: Rolls-Royce

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Norwegian shipowner Havila Kystruten AS has contracted Rolls-Royce to provide the power and propulsion for four LNG-fuelled ro-pax ships that are to be built in Spain and Turkey, and are scheduled to begin operating along the coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes from January 2021.

Spain's Astillero Hijos de J. Barreras shipyard is to build two of the cruise ferries and Turkey's Tersan yard the other two.

Rolls-Royce's contract to provide a fully integrated LNG power and propulsion solution to all four ships includes two LNG fuel tanks with process system, control and safety systems, four Bergen gas engines, main propulsion thrusters of type Azipull with Permanent Magnet (PM) drive motor, PM tunnel thrusters, and stabilisers of type Neptune 200.

The LNG fuel system from Rolls-Royce will supply Bergen gas generator sets. Each vessel will have two engines with nine in-line cylinders, and two with six cylinders. The engines will be able to operate on variable speed to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.

Two separate LNG fuel systems have been designed in cooperation with the shipowner and offer the flexibility to bunker both tanks from the same side of the ship, as well as the option to supply the front and aft machine rooms from both tanks. This is designed to ensure high redundancy and flexibility during operation.

Steinar Oppedal, Technical Product Manager for LNG Fuel Systems, Rolls-Royce - Commercial Marine, said: "Havila Kystruten has chosen a LNG fuel system that builds on our long experience with these type of systems, designed to be robust and reliable in rough weather conditions. No less important is the fact that the system and its engines will provide a significant reduction in emissions compared to conventional diesel engines."

The selected Bergen engine series is claimed to reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 20 percent compared to similar diesel engines and is IMO Tier III compliant.

The whole LNG fuel system is also designed for safety with double-walled stainless steel containment.

Bergen to Kirkenes route

In May 2018 the Norwegian government awarded 11 new licenses for the passenger and cargo route from Bergen in the southwest to Kirkenes in the north.

For the first time, the licenses have been split between two operators, with new entrant Havila winning four of the 11 licenses.

The route has, since its beginning in 1884, kept coastal Norway connected, with 34 ports seeing daily ship calls.