Wärtsilä tech ordered for LNG-fueled short-sea trio

The Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the main equipment for the first LNG fuelled short-sea Ro-Lo (roll-on, lift-off) vessels to be operated by Finland based Bore.

Three ships have been ordered by the Dutch Spliethoff Group’s Bore and are being built at the WuHu Shipyard in China.

Wärtsilä has worked with both the owner and the naval architect to develop a vessel optimized integrated LNG system. As a result it has been possible to locate a 250-cbm Wärtsilä LNGPac storage and supply system below deck without compromising the cargo capacity, Wärtsilä said.

The ships will be propelled by a Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engine driving a Wärtsilä controlled pitch propeller (CPP) at variable speed, connected to a Wärtsilä SCV95 gearbox with an integrated power pack. In addition, the vessels will each be equipped with Wärtsilä ProTouch controls and Eco Control to enable accurately synchronized engine speed and propeller pitch.

The 120-meter longships will be chartered to Finnish forestry company UPM, and will operate in the Baltic and North Seas. They will have Finnish/Swedish Ice Class 1A classification.

Wärtsilä said that the first vessel is scheduled for delivery mid-2021.