New Baltic Sea ferry will be powered by environmentally sustainable Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines

12 March 2015

A new fast ropax ferry ordered by the Estonia based Tallink Grupp for its Tallinn – Helsinki route, will feature Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines running primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The ship is to be built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland and is scheduled to be in operation from the beginning of 2017. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in February.

By opting for Wärtsilä’s industry leading dual-fuel (DF) engine technology with LNG used as the main fuel, the ship will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) latest sulphur emissions legislation which came into force in January 2015. The Baltic Sea is designated as a Sulphur Emissions Control Area (SECA). When operating in gas mode, the sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions from the Wärtsilä DF engines are negligible at almost zero percent. Furthermore, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are at least 85 percent below those specified in the current IMO regulations, and CO2 emissions are some 25 percent less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel.


The new fast ropax ferry ordered by AS Tallink Grupp for its Tallinn – Helsinki route, will feature Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Image courtesy of Meyer Turku

The full scope of supply includes three 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF and two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF main engines, as well as two Wärtsilä fixed pitch propellers and propeller shaft lines. The equipment will be delivered to the yard in early 2016.

“The ferry will operate at fairly high speed and to very tight schedules. It is, therefore, important to the customer that the main engine propulsion is highly efficient and extremely reliable. Wärtsilä’s extensive track record is proof of our ability to meet these criteria. At the same time, we are the leading supplier of gas fuelled solutions to the marine industry and this was another reason for being awarded this important contract,” says Mika Ojutkangas, General manager, Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

“The Wärtsilä engines are more energy efficient and thus consume less fuel, and for a next generation environmentally sustainable ferry that is what we were especially looking for,” says Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, Head of Shipmanagement of AS Tallink Grupp.

The new 212 metre long ferry will have a gross tonnage of 49,000 and will carry 2800 passengers.

The Wärtsilä 50DF engine
The engine can be run on either natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO), and can smoothly switch between fuels whilst operating. It is designed to provide the same output regardless of the fuel. Both the gas admission and pilot fuel injection are electronically controlled. The engine functions are controlled by an advanced automation system that allows optimal running conditions to be set, independent of the ambient conditions or fuel type. The 50DF engine is designed to allow use of Wärtsilä's remote diagnosis and dynamic maintenance planning solutions. These features offer owners a significant reduction in operating costs by applying predictive maintenance principles and by optimising engine performance.

One of the reasons for the strong success of this particular engine over the alternatives is its superior propulsion efficiency. The clear environmental advantages that operating on gas allows, is another factor in the success of this technology

Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximizes the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2014, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.8 billion with approximately 17,700 employees. The company has operations in more than 200 locations in nearly 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.

Wärtsilä Corporation press release