Wijnne Barends Orders LNG-fueled Newbuilds

The Netherlands-based Wijnne Barends Chartering, an affiliate of the Dutch Spliethoff Group, has ordered four new next-generation short-sea cargo vessels from the WuHu Shipyard in China.

The newbuilds will feature liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion and storage systems provided by Wärtsilä, making the vessels among the first of their type to be powered by LNG fuel.

Because of space restrictions on short-sea cargo ships, Wärtsilä developed a customized solution in close cooperation with the naval architect and the owners that allows the Wärtsilä LNGPac storage and supply system to be installed below deck without compromising the cargo hold space. Furthermore, the propulsion efficiency will be optimized as a result of Wärtsilä’s Opti Design capabilities that tailors the propeller and HP nozzle to specifically align with the vessel’s hull. These integrated technologies will be supported via Wärtsilä’s Data Collection Unit (WDCU) with iCloud based services and remote monitoring to optimize operability, fuel economy, and periodic maintenance.

The four ships will each have a Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel main engine, a Wärtsilä gearbox, a Wärtsilä controlled pitch propeller (CPP) with HP nozzle, and a Wärtsilä LNGPac system. The equipment will be delivered to the yard during the fourth quarter of 2020, and the first vessel is expected to be delivered during autumn 2021.

The 5,800 DWT Lo-Lo (lift-on, lift-off) vessels will operate in the Baltic and North Seas and will be Finnish/Swedish Ice Class 1A classified. Six previously ordered vessels for Wijnne Barends, which are already under construction, are also being fitted with Wärtsilä main engines and CPP propellers.