GEAR | Kongsberg Maritime to deliver integrated propulsion and manoeuvring systems for Finnlines ferry pair

Kongsberg Maritime has entered into an agreement with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Weihai to deliver a propulsion and manoeuvring system for two 230-metre Ro-Pax ferries for Finnlines.

Currently under construction at Weihai and expected to be delivered for deployment in the Baltic Sea by 2023, the ships will each have capacity for 1,212 passengers and are specified with a focus on sustainable technologies and green operation.

The ships will be built to the highest Swedish/Finnish ice class (1A Super), with a twin shaft line propulsion system powered by four main engines.

Kongsberg Maritime has proposed a system whereby the ships will be able to run two efficiency/speed profiles: 16 knots with two engines running, or 19 knots with four engines running. This capability is enabled via an innovative two-speed gearbox solution, delivering a propulsion efficiency increase of about three per cent compared with a single-speed gearbox.

Efficiency is further boosted through the use of Kongsberg’s controllable-pitch propellers (CPPs). With the propeller and rudder integrated into a single system, hydrodynamic performance is optimised, thrust is increased, and drag is reduced, with a consequent reduction in emissions.

Combined with a “twisted” rudder design that further improves manoeuvrability, the twin-screw vessels can be expected to achieve efficiency gains of up to six per cent.

The contract between Kongsberg and China Merchants has an approximate value of €12 million (US$14.13 million).

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month’s Marine Engines and Propulsion Systems Week right here.