Danish Inland Ferry to be Wärtsilä DF Engine Powered

This order is for the first Danish ferry to be operated on LNG fuel. The ferry project sets an environmental benchmark for inland ferries, and according to Wärtsilä is being closely followed by other municipalities and governmental bodies in Denmark and abroad.

Wärtsilä is to supply the main propulsion generating sets for a new, environmentally sound, double ended ferry. The ship, which is the first gas fuelled ferry for a domestic route in Denmark, will operate between Jutland and the island of Samsø and will carry passengers, cars and trucks. The vessel, designed by the Danish OSK-ShipTech A/S, will be built for the Danish municipality Samsø Kommune by Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdansk, Poland.

The ferry will be powered by four Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and will have extremely low emission levels. The dual-fuel engine technology pioneered by Wärtsilä allows a seamless switch to conventional marine fuels if necessary, thus providing the operator with a high level of redundancy.

The new ferry will be one of the smallest ships to be powered by Wärtsilä 20DF engines. It is also the first Danish ferry to be operated on LNG fuel, and the design of the 100m long double-ended ship is tailored to its operating profile and route. Bunkering of the LNG is planned to take place in the Hou harbour in Jutland.

"The overriding priorities for the owners were to achieve the highest possible level of operational reliability to support the local business but with focus on environmental sustainability, which, among others, means to ensure excellent overall efficiency in energy consumption. By selecting Wärtsilä technology these aims will be met, and we are delighted to be a partner in this trend setting project," says Mr Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.