Wärtsilä will provide an integrated hybrid propulsion system for two new hybrid RoRo vessels. The ships are being constructed for the Swedish shipping firm Stena RoRo at the China Merchants Jinling shipyard (Weihai).
The ships, which will operate on the Stena Line Irish Sea system, will be the world’s first methanol-fueled hybrid RoRo ships.
The combination of new sustainable fuels and electrification is consistent with the company’s objective for sustainable operations.
Each vessel will be outfitted with two Wärtsilä 32M multi-fuel engines that can now run on methanol and have ammonia-ready notation.
Wärtsilä will also provide the MethanolPac fuel storage, supply, and control system, as well as the gearboxes, two controllable pitch propellers (CPP), three bow thrusters, the NACOS navigation system, three Wärtsilä 20 auxiliary engines, and the hybrid electric system, which includes shore power, batteries, shaft generators, converters, transformers, and the Energy Management System that connects everything.
Each vessel will also benefit from the Wärtsilä Hybrid Solution, which will reduce fuel usage today while providing for 100% green operation in the future. The vessels will also be outfitted with a Wärtsilä shore power solution, allowing for carbon-free operations when in port.
The 147-metre-long ships will have a capacity of 2,800 lane metres and can carry 37 passengers and crew. They will be delivered in June and November 2025, respectively. In 2024, Wärtsilä equipment will be brought to the yard.
Wärtsilä has a strong relationship with Stena RoRo, and the Stena Germanica was modified to run on methanol fuel as early as 2015. Both firms are now working together on a variety of additional Ro-Pax projects.