First dual-fuel Wärtsilä 31 engines for Viking Line ferry

Six Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines running primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) will provide the propulsion and power for the vessel. The supplier will also provide navigation system, ballast water management system, compact silencers, bow thrusters and several other products for the ship, which is under construction at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co.

“A new era in ferry operations was established in 2013 when Viking Line’s Viking Grace with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines became the world’s largest ropax ferry to operate on LNG fuel,” said Roger Holm, president, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “This latest Viking project represents another milestone.”

The recently launched Wärtsilä SmartPredict system is also included in the overall scope. This evaluates the wind and sea forces affecting the vessel to provide advanced motion prediction and has a configurable prediction time display.

Commencing in early 2021, the new vessel will operate across the Baltic Sea between Turku, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden. Wärtsilä described the ship as the first LNG-fuelled ferry of its size and standard to be built in China.