Technology group Wärtsilä will provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and storage systems for four new next-generation short-sea cargo vessels being built at the WuHu Shipyard in China. The ships have been ordered by Netherlands-based Wijnne & Barends Chartering, an affiliate of the Dutch Spliethoff Group.
“Our recognized leadership in LNG technologies is again shown with this order,” says Luuk Hijlkema, account manager, sales, Wärtsilä Marine. “Wärtsilä’s expertise in delivering fully integrated systems, and our emphasis on partnering with customers and other stakeholders to develop the optimal solution, can lead to state-of-the-art vessels, as is we have here.”
The ships will be among the first-ever of their type to be powered by LNG fuel. Because of space restrictions on short-sea cargo ships, Wärtsilä developed a customized solution in close cooperation with the naval architect and the owners that allows the Wärtsilä LNGPac storage and supply system to be installed below deck without compromizing the cargo hold space.
Furthermore, the propulsion efficiency will be optimized as a result of Wärtsilä’s Opti Design capabilities that tailor the propeller and HP nozzle to specifically align with the vessel’s hull. These integrated technologies will be supported via Wärtsilä’s Data Collection Unit (WDCU) with iCloud-based services and remote monitoring to optimize operability, fuel economy, and periodic maintenance.
“We are very pleased to have these next-generation sustainable vessels,” said Ad Toonen, technical director, Wijnne & Barends. “Minimizing our environmental footprint has long been a focal point for us, and the reduction of emissions is a fundamental part of this. The new vessels running on LNG fit well into our continuous drive for greener operations.”
The 5800 DWT Lo-Lo (lift-on, lift-off) vessels will operate in the Baltic and North Seas and will be Finnish/Swedish Ice Class 1A classified. The four ships will each have a Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel main engine, a Wärtsilä gearbox, a Wärtsilä controlled pitch propeller (CPP) with HP nozzle, and a Wärtsilä LNGPac system. Six previously ordered vessels for Wijnne & Barends, which are already under construction, are also being fitted with Wärtsilä main engines and CPP propellers.