Electrical package for biogas ferry

The 100m ferry is being built by Remontowa Shipbuilding at its Gdansk shipyard on behalf of Danish proprietor, Samsø Municipality. Initially LNG-fuelled, the vessel is expected to become the world’s first ferry to operate on locally supplied biogas.

“We are particularly proud to be actively associated with the ongoing development of this remarkable maritime innovation, which marks a huge stride in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and pollution from ships,” said Reinhard Swoboda, senior vice president of drives and special systems at L-3 MSI’s SAM Electronics division.

The NACOS Platinum integrated navigation system being supplied by L-3 MSI’s Lyngsø marine division, comprises S- and X-band radars linked to a series of five multipilot multifunction consoles and associated conning units for control of all main radar, ECDIS, automatic steering and voyage planning functions.

L-3 MSI will also supply its MCS Platinum automated monitoring and control system, with approximately 4,000 data inputs remote controlled from several onboard computer workstations, as well as emergency shutdown and DNV-approved LNG cargo control systems.

L-3 MSI’s SAM Electronics division is also providing the ferry’s complete electrical propulsion system, which will include four 850 kW azimuth thrusters, each driven by an asynchronous motor and a speed-controlled, low-voltage PWM converter featuring the latest active front-end (AFE) technology. The vessel’s power generation configuration will include the installation of two 690 V, 60 Hz propulsion switchboards, four gensets, including 1,275 kVA synchronous generators, and dual-fuel diesel/LNG engines.

The ferry is due to enter service in September 2014 on domestic routes between the island of Samsø and Hou on the Danish mainland.