Finnish engine manufacturer Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Swedish ferry operator Stena RoRo to supply LNG propulsion systems for three new ferries.
The agreement will see Wärtsilä provide dual-fuel engines and propulsion machinery for three vessels, currently under construction at at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai in the east of Shandong province in China.
“We are delighted to help Stena RoRo bring the latest new vessels in its E-Flexer series to market, and to work once again with Wärtsilä to ensure these vessels have highly efficient and environmentally sustainable propulsion,” Ni Weisong, Vice General Manager at CMJL Weihai Shipyard, said.
46DF and 20DF engines
Under the terms of the deal, Wärtsilä will deliver supply Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel main engines, Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines, two gearboxes, two controllable pitch propellers (CPP), the tunnel thrusters, and the fuel gas supply system for each vessel.
“We have earlier supplied a similar scope of solutions for Stena newbuild projects, and it is especially gratifying to receive this repeat order. The cooperation between our companies and with the shipyard has been excellent, and we look forward to another successful outcome,” says Roger Holm, President, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
The engines and ancillary machinery will be supplied in 2024 and 2025.
E-Flexer class
The newbuild vessels will form part of a series of E-Flexer class ferries ordered by Stena RoRo for European line service. Wärtsilä will work closely with Stena RoRo to ensure that one of the vessels meets DNV’s Silent-E class notification.
“This recognises that underwater noise from the vessel is controlled to protect vulnerable environments and involves careful configuration and design of propulsion and onboard equipment to offer low noise while maintaining high efficiency,” a spokesperson for Wärtsilä explained.
Alongside the propulsion systems, Wärtsilä will also supply its Nacos navigation and automation technology, as well as integrated control alarm and monitoring system MCS Platinum together with the performance monitoring system. All three vessels will also feature Wärtsilä’s Smart Panoramic Edge Camera System, eliminating blind spots and creating a 360°, birds-eye view of the ships surroundings, offering a significant advantage when docking.
“We are very familiar with Wärtsilä’s ability to supply reliable and highly efficient solutions in line with our operational and sustainability requirements. In particular, their experience and leading know-how in LNG technologies is especially important to us as we move to decarbonise our services,” Per Westling, Managing Director of Stena RoRo, commented.
