Wärtsilä will provide design and equipment supply for the first Mediterranean passenger ferry

The owner of this LNG powered ferry is the Spanish company Baleària. In addition to the design, Wärtsilä will also provide project support services for the construction of the shipyard, including integration engineering, on-site consulting and system commissioning. Wärtsilä’s contract was signed in August this year and the contract also includes a contractual preference for another ship.

The new vessel is expected to be operational in 2019. It will be the first gas-powered ro-ro passenger ferry in the Mediterranean and one of the largest ferries in Europe. It is 232 meters long and can transport 331 vehicles and 1,700 passengers, 70% of which are passengers. Accommodation is available. In order to provide maximum comfort to the accommodation facilities, Wärtsilä's main and auxiliary engines, propellers, steering thrusters, etc. will apply strict standards to reduce noise and vibration. With LNG as fuel, the new ferry will greatly reduce environmental pollution. Compared to standard diesel fuels, Wärtsilä's LNG solution can reduce carbon dioxide by 25%, 85% of nitrogen oxides, and completely remove sulfur and solid particles.

Wärtsilä's equipment system includes four 8-cylinder 50DF dual-fuel main engines, four 9-cylinder 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary machines, Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage and management system, two dual/single output gearboxes, and two Wärtsilä adjustable pitch propellers with Wärtsilä ProTouch bridge control system, 2 lateral thrusters, plus engineering, project management and on-site support services. The Wärtsilä equipment package is expected to be delivered to the shipyard in mid-2017, allowing the ship to reach speeds of up to 24 knots.

Currently, the new ferry is being built at the shipyard of Constucciones Navales del Norte SL (LaNaval), Spain. Aaron Bresnahan, vice president of sales for Wärtsilä Shipbuilding Solutions, said, “Wah Ceyland has a record of more than 1,500 gas-powered engines with 16 million hours of operation and the most dual fuel experience in power and propulsion.”