Wärtsilä Powers Germany’s First Newbuild LNG Seagoing Vessel

The first ever newbuild LNG-powered German seagoing vessel, which is powered by a Wärtsilä LNG propulsion solution, had its maiden voyage on December 11. The ship was built at the Fr. Fassmer shipyard in Germany.

The passenger ferry, owned by Reederei Cassen Eils, will operate between Cuxhaven and the island of Helgoland. This route takes the vessel close to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Wadden Sea National Park, an ecologically sensitive area in the south-eastern part of the North Sea. Because of the need to minimize exhaust gas emissions in this area, the ferry will operate primarily on LNG using two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF medium-speed dual-fuel engines.

In addition to the propulsion machinery comprised of the two engines, two gearboxes and two controllable pitch propellers, Wärtsilä has also supplied its LNGPac fuel bunkering and gas supply system with related safety and automation systems. Of special note is the use of Wärtsilä’s patented Cold Recovery System, which uess the latent heat of LNG for the ship’s air conditioning systems, thereby reducing the amount of electricity consumed in cooling compressors. This provides significant operational savings and an increase in overall vessel efficiency.