Wärtsilä navigation and comms for Wasaline LNG-biogas ferry

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä will provide the new Wasaline RoPax ferry, currently under construction at the RMC yard in Finland, with a Nacos Platinum navigation and communication system.

This latest order, placed with Wärtsilä in August, is in addition to the package of Wärtsilä products, systems, and integrated solutions ordered in March.

These solutions include Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines, hybrid propulsion, and power management, and the capability to operate on LNG and BioLNG fuel.

Wärtsilä said that its Nacos Platinum system represents a combination of control systems for navigation, automation, power, and propulsion, as well as the Wärtsilä Data Bridge platform. By integrating all these functions into a single system, the vessel can be navigated, controlled, and monitored from various onboard positions.

Henrik Wilhelms, director of offshore and special vessels at Wärtsilä Marine, said: “[…] the CO2 emissions will be 50 percent less than those of the current ferry serving this route. Adding to that, the Nacos Platinum system will further enhance the ship’s operational and navigational efficiency.”

Håkan Enlund, EVP of sales and marketing at Rauma Marine Constructions, added: “Based on the needs and requirements of Wasaline, the RMC shipyard has ambitiously developed this new ferry with a focus on the latest environmental technology. In this context, we are pleased that Wärtsilä will supply its Nacos Platinum integrated navigation system since our evaluations have found this to be the optimum alternative.”

The Wasaline ferry service between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden is operated by NLC Ferry, and this latest addition to the fleet is scheduled for delivery in April 2021.