To be completed at the Meyer Turku shipyard in late January, Tallink’s new liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered fast ferry M/S Megastar was bunkered with LNG for the first time at the newly opened Skangas Pori LNG terminal on January 4, Skangas says in a press release. Her maiden voyage will take place from Tallinn to Helsinki in late January.
The ferry is fuelled with the cleanest available marine fuel LNG and is compliant with the new, stricter emission regulations of Emission Control Areas (ECAs) such as the Baltic Sea. The hull with unequalled efficiency was designed exclusively for Megastar by Meyer Turku Shipyard.
M/S Megastar is 212 meters long and can accommodate 2,800 passengers. The fast ferry will operate between Helsinki and Tallinn at a service speed of 27 knots. The two stainless steel LNG tanks are located below deck 3 and have a total volume of 600 m3. The construction of the fast ferry began in summer 2015 and the launch took place in July 2016.
”It has been great to participate in the construction of the new-generation LNG-powered Tallink Megastar. Megastar is yet another proof of Meyer Turku being a global forerunner in the construction of LNG-powered ships. Using LNG as a fuel is an efficient way of reducing the environmental impacts of shipping. Hull form design and modeling helped minimize hull resistance – and therefore also minimize energy consumption during operation,” says Meyer Turku Project Manager Kari Toivonen.
”We’re happy that Megastar is now ready for operation and we're able to supply her with LNG, a fuel that has excellent environmental properties as its sulphur dioxide, particulate, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions are very low. Thanks to LNG, the engine exhaust gases contain hardly any nitrogen oxides, which are particularly harmful as regards issues such as the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. We want to offer the shipping industry reliable, safe and efficient LNG bunkerings,” says Skangas Sales and Marketing Director Tommy Mattila.