Firm will deliver solutions for navigation, ballast water management and LNG fuel storage
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Wärtsilä is to supply six dual-fuel engines, a navigation system and several other systems for Viking Line’s new LNG cruise ferry, which will be launched in 2021.
To be built by Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry yard in China, the new vessel will be powered by six Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on LNG fuel. This will be the first marine application for the dual-fuel version of the engine and it will help Viking Line to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, while increasing operational efficiency.
“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 ro-pax ferry to operate on LNG fuel,” said Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “This latest Viking project represents another milestone as it will be the first vessel fitted with the highly efficient Wärtsilä 31DF engines. Both cases highlight the value our know-how and technology brings to our customers.”
Wärtsilä will also supply its LNGPac fuel storage and supply system and an advanced Compact Silencer System, bow thrusters, the ballast water management system 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.
Viking Line’s newbuild will also be equipped with the Wärtsilä SmartPredict system, which is designed to increase safety and efficiency by evaluating the wind and sea forces affecting the vessel to provide advanced motion prediction.
“The value of operating with Wärtsilä engines fuelled by LNG has been well established through our experience with the Viking Grace,” said Jan Hanses, president and CEO of Viking Line. “Furthermore, the LNGPac fuel system provides the necessary safety and non-stop operation required, so we had no hesitation in once again specifying Wärtsilä for this project.”
Following her early 2021 debut, the newbuild will operate across the Baltic Sea between Turku, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.