Wärtsilä Engines Selected for CGN's New Ferries

Marine and technology provider Wärtsilä said it will supply the engines and related emissions control after-treatment systems for two new passenger ferries being built for operation between Switzerland and France across Lake Geneva. The ferries were ordered in January at the Shiptec AG yard in Switzerland for General Navigation Company (CGN), a Swiss ferry operator based in Lausanne.

The 60 meters long, 700 passenger capacity vessels will feature advanced hybrid energy and propulsion systems, and the high-speed Wärtsilä 14 engines chosen for this project are compliant with the EU Stage V emissions standard for inland waterway vessels, which came into force in the EU earlier this year.

According to Wärtsilä, which booked its order in September, high efficiency and environmental compliance were key factors in the selection of this engine. “Environmental sustainability was strongly emphasized in the specifications for this newbuild project,” said Johan Penninga, Account Manager, Wärtsilä Marine Power.

Martin Einsiedler, Head of naval architecture and engineering at Shiptec, said, “Minimizing the emissions from their operations is of great importance to CGN, and these new vessels are designed to operate cleanly and efficiently. The Wärtsilä engine was chosen with these criteria very much in mind.”

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery beginning in summer 2021, and the first vessel is expected to commence commercial operations in December 2022. The second ferry will be delivered approximately one year later.

The Wärtsilä 14 high-speed engine is available in 12- and 16-cylinder configurations, having a power output between 749 and 1340 kWm in mechanical propulsion, and between 675 and 1155 kWe in auxiliary generating set and diesel-electric propulsion applications.

(Image: Wärtsilä)