EMEA News
Debut Voyage of Europe's First LNG Ferry Delayed After Engine Troubles
The maiden voyage of Helgoland, Europe's first newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) ferry, has been delayed after its engines experienced malfunctions, The Motorship reports.
The ship was reportedly scheduled to sail from the German island of Heligoland to Cuxhaven Saturday until its operators announced that the two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF medium-speed engines were experiencing issues.
AG EMS, the parent company of operators Cassen Eils, reportedly declined to give any details, but a spokeswoman confirmed that "problems have arisen in the innovative LNG main engines which mean that operation is not possible at this time."
The company reportedly also sought to assuage concerns over the delay, emphasizing that being a leader in the LNG space required time and care.
“This just means that the pleasure has been deferred," she said.
The company also acknowledged that integrating LNG systems has been a challenge due to their complexity.
"Even though these have led to some delays, we are convinced that this new propulsion system is the way to go," the spokeswoman said.
"After all, clean fuel is good for both the environment and the engine.”
In 2013 it was reported that the Helgoland would have the capacity to carry 1,000 passengers and up to 10 ten-foot reefer containers.
