P&O Ferries chooses Wärtsilä engines for ‘super ferries’

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been selected by British ferry operator P&O Ferries to power the company’s new series of ‘super ferries’.

The contract, which encompasses two vessels, was signed in Q1 2020, according to Wärtsila.

As informed, the vessels will be powered by the Wärtsilä 31 4-stroke diesel engines. The engine is said to have a high level of fuel efficiency and to reduce exhaust emissions.

Ordered last year from China’s shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International, the two new 230-metre ships will be the largest ever to sail between Dover, England, and Calais, France.

“We have worked closely with P&O Ferries and their naval architects on the design of these ships, and in their drive for greater efficiency and lower emission levels that can deliver more sustainable operations,” Karls Hinks, Sales Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power, commented, adding that the Wärtsilä 31 is expected to meet these requirements.

Each ship will feature four 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines. Delivery to the yard will commence in Q2 2021.

The engines will also be fitted with Wärtsilä Data Communication Units, which utilise artificial intelligence and are supported by the company’s condition monitoring platform.