Finnish engineering company Wärtsila is to power the UK’s first dual-fuel ferries being built for Scotland-based Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL), the company said.
Under the contract signed between the duo in December 2015, Wärtsila is also to supply extended engineering and site support services, next to propulsion machinery packages.
Featuring a length of 102 meters and being capable of operating on LNG as well as on marine diesel, the two RoRos are the first dual-fuel ships to be built in the UK.
The ferries are being built by Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited at a shipyard in Glasgow.
“This project highlights the fact that high-end, technologically advanced commercial shipbuilding is again present in Scotland. We value Wärtsilä’s contribution as an important partner, not only in providing us with the latest dual-fuel technologies, but also through its comprehensive range of project support competences,” Liam Campbell, Ferguson Marine Engineering’s Managing Director says.
Under the contract, Wärtsila will supply each of the ships with two 6-cylinder main engines capable of operating on either LNG or conventional diesel fuels, two 6-cylinder auxiliary engines, horizontally offset gearboxes, shaft lines, seals and bearings, and controllable pitch propeller systems. Additionally, the ships will feature a twin screw dual-fuel mechanical propulsion driveline, the company noted.
The two ferries are scheduled to enter service during the second half of 2018 and will operate on various routes along the west coast of Scotland.
Separately, Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) and Hyundai Heavy Industries – Engine and Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) have completed the successful testing and delivery of their first IMO Tier III compliant Wärtsilä X72 diesel engine.
Built at HHI-EMD’s works in Ulsan Korea, the six-cylinder engine employs a compact, pre-turbocharger selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system.
The system demonstrated its ability to reduce the engine’s NOx emissions below the demanding limitations of IMO Tier III for vessels operating in ECAs. In addition, the two-stroke engine demonstrated its compliance with the NOx limits of IMO Tier II without exhaust after treatment, according to WinGD.
The 15,080 kW rated engine was delivered to Hyundai Samho Heavy Industry in Samho-Eup, Yeongam-Gun, South Korea, where it will be installed into a 159,000 dwt crude oil product tanker.
With IMO Tier III entering into force on January 1 this year, the ship will be permitted to enter North American and Caribbean waters.