The technology group Wärtsilä has won the contract to supply the engines and a range of its electric solutions for two new ferries under construction at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) in China. The ships are being built for Finnlines, a part of the Grimaldi Group, and are designed to incorporate the latest technical and environmental concepts. The order for the engines was placed in July 2020, with the remaining Wärtsilä equipment ordered in September 2020.
The two ‘Superstar’ vessels will operate between Finland and Sweden across the Baltic Sea. They will feature Wärtsilä 46F main engines, thrusters, and a state-of-the-art electric package. This includes a hybrid shaft generator system comprising a fully integrated Multidrive capable of driving the shaft generators in both directions as motors and/or generators. The package also includes the thruster control system, and a highly efficient energy management system for performance optimisation. This will enable the vessels to operate free of emissions on either batteries or shore power while in port.
This investment is aimed at energy efficiency and emissions reduction and is part of our intention to lead the development of energy-efficient transport services in the Baltic Sea region. We have Wärtsilä solutions in most of our ships, so we are familiar with the efficiency and reliability they offer.