Wärtsilä Propulsion Selected for Molslinjen Fast Ferry

May 28, 2020

The new Molslinjen high-speed ferry is to be built at the Austal yard in the Philippines and will feature a combination of Wärtsilä propulsion solutions. (Image: Austal Ships Pty Ltd.)

Wärtsilä said it will provide the propulsion solutions for a new 115-meter high-speed ferry being built by Austal at the Australian shipbuilder’s yard in the Philippines for Danish operator Molslinjen.

The newbuild will feature four Wärtsilä 31 engines, recognized by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient four-stroke diesel engine, and four Wärtsilä WXJ1500SRI waterjets. Wärtsilä will also supply its ProTouch bridge controls system. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in May this year.

“This combination of the Wärtsilä 31 engine and WXJ waterjets is unique for fast ferries, delivering exceptional fuel efficiency, reliability, quality and performance. This is an exciting project, and we are honored to have been selected to provide the level of propulsion demanded,” says Stefan Nysjö, Marine Power Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine.

The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered to the yard commencing in July 2021, and the ferry is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2022. It will operate on the Molslinjen Bornholm route between Ystad and Rønne in Denmark.

This large ferry will be capable of carrying 1,610 passengers, and will have space for 450 cars or 617 lane meters for trucks plus 257 cars. It will have an operating service speed of close to 37 knots.

“The size of the vessel, together with the speed and propulsion efficiency makes this a very special project. It will be, by volume, the largest ferry ever built in our shipyards, and it will offer a powerful, yet economical and environmentally-friendly solution,” says Wayne Murray, President Austal Philippines.

“We have Wärtsilä waterjets on several of our fast ferries, so we are familiar with the quality and performance they deliver. We are also familiar with the Wärtsilä 31 engine, which is really in a class of its own in regards to efficiency,” says Flemming Kristensen, Technical Director, Molslinjen.

The Wärtsilä WXJ waterjet series was introduced in 2019 as the successor to the company’s LJX series. This is the first time the WXJ waterjets and the Wärtsilä 31 engine have been used in combination for a fast ferry.

A combination of the 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines and WXJ1500SRI waterjets, has been selected to provide the power for the new Molslinjen high-speed ferry. (Image: Wärtsilä)