ABB has announced that the company has won an order to deliver complete electric power plant, electrical propulsion systems and an energy management solution for Estonia-based Tallink Grupp´s new liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered fast ferry, the company said in its press release.
The large-scale ferry will be built at Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland for delivery in the beginning of 2017. The vessel will be approximately 212m in length with a gross tonnage of 49 000. The ferry, planned to carry 2800 passengers, will operate between Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The ferry route, when measured in annual passenger volumes, is the one of the most significant in the Baltic Sea region with approximately 7.4 million passengers in 2013. The passengers on the route between Helsinki and Tallinn represent the vast majority (over 80%) of the passenger traffic in the Port of Tallinn.
ABB’s delivery will help the new ship to minimise fuel and power consumption while providing reliable power supply for all the electrical power equipment and systems in the LNG powered ferry. ABB will deliver the complete power plant and propulsion systems, including synchronous propulsion motors and ACS600SD drives, medium voltage generators, the main switchboard, propulsion transformers, and thruster motors. ABB will also provide engineering, project management and commissioning services including remote diagnostic services, training for the crew and an access to ABB´s worldwide marine service network.
LNG as a shipping fuel can help significantly reduce the environmental impacts of maritime transport. With this fuel, NOx, SOx and particulate emissions can be reduced by 85-100% in comparison with heavy fuel oil. As an LNG-powered ship, the new ferry will comply with the new strict emission regulations for the Emission Control Areas, which include the Baltic Sea.
“Meyer Turku is one of Europe’s leading shipyards and we are happy to continue working with them on this advanced newbuild for Tallink Grupp,” says Heikki Soljama, Managing Director for ABB’s Marine and Ports business. “Electrical propulsion is a natural choice for modern LNG-powered ferries that require efficient and reliable solutions that increase the vessel’s flexibility. With a full delivery of power and propulsion solutions, an energy management system and service support, ABB can help Tallink Grupp optimise the operational efficiency of this new generation LNG ferry.”