Wärtsilä to Supply Propulsion Systems for Methanol-Fuelled Stena Line RoRo Vessels

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday September 13, 2023

Engineering firm Wärtsilä is set to supply the hybrid propulsion systems for two new Stena Line ro-ro vessels capable of running on methanol.

The firm signed deals to supply the equipment in the second and third quarters of this year, it said in a statement on its website 

The vessels are under construction at the China Merchants Jinling shipyard, and will be deployed upon delivery in the Irish Sea. They are due for delivery in June and November 2025, with the Wärtsilä equipment being delivered to the shipyard in 2024.

The ships will be supplied with two Wärtsilä 32M multi-fuel engines capable of running on methanol as well as conventional bunkers. The vessels will also have ammonia-ready notations, meaning they are suitable for conversion to ammonia propulsion at a later date if needed.

"These vessels are a further development of our previous cargo ship concepts where the focus on sustainability and future-proofing with multi-fuel combustion engines are prioritised," Per Westling, managing director of Stena RoRo, said in the statement.

"With the help of Wärtsilä's advanced technology, we intend to have the greenest Ro-Ro vessels on the market."

Methanol is rapidly gaining in popularity as an alternative marine fuel, with orders of methanol-fuelled tonnage now coming in regularly from a variety of shipping segments. The main challenge for this market will be the scaling-up of green methanol supply in time to meet the needs of the new ships as they are delivered.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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