Green waters ahead: Wärtsilä locks in decade-long support deal for Baleària’s LNG catamaran

Finland-headquartered technology group Wärtsilä has signed a ten-year lifecycle agreement with Spanish ferry operator Baleària for its new high-speed liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered catamaran roll-on/roll-off passenger (RoPax) ferry, the Margarita Salas.

Built at the Astilleros Armon Gijon yard in Spain, the 123-meter-long Margarita Salas joined Baleària’s fleet in July 2024.

According to the Finnish player, the vessel operates with four Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines, four Wärtsilä WXJ hydraulic waterjets, and features two Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage and supply systems—the same scope that Margarita Salas’ sister ship, the LNG-powered Eleanor Roosevelt—which entered force in the spring of 2021— was delivered with.

It is understood that the lifecycle agreement was envisioned to ensure that the ship’s key design values, ie. high efficiency, reduced operating costs and environmental sustainability, are “secured and maintained”.

Specifically, as per Wärtsilä, the agreement was designed to meet the specific operating needs and requirements of the vessel. This includes maintenance planning, spare parts and upkeep services for scheduled repairs, operational support, and Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight digital predictive maintenance service.

“We feel confident with Wärtsilä solutions which will help us to deliver the high performance and comfort level we offer to our clients while lowering the emissions of our operations. The reliability of our service is naturally of key importance to our customers, and this agreement with Wärtsilä provides us the highest expertise from the manufacturer to optimally maintain the vessel at all times,” Juan Pablo Molina, Corporate Technical Director, Baleària, highlighted.

Miguel Sanchez, Director of Sales South Europe & Africa – Wärtsilä Marine added: “We have been working with the ferry industry for many years now and have seen an increased number of ferries serviced under long-term agreements, totaling 37 today. This agreement is the fifth we are honored by Baleària and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership on this decarbonization journey.”

In March 2024, Wärtsilä inked a five-year lifecycle agreement with Korea Maritime Transport Co. (KMTC) for its two post-Panamax container vessels, both powered by Wärtsilä 12RT-flex96C-B two-stroke main engines. Aside from the secured availability of contracted key components, the scope of the agreement was said to cover the Wärtsilä Health check, too, which is a yearly main engine condition assessment by two-stroke technical engine experts.

This development had come on the heels of a similar contract that the Finland-based company signed with the UK-based shipping firm P&O Ferries, encompassing a duo of hybrid ferries, M/V Pioneer and M/V Liberté.

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