LNG Ferry to Manage Energy Use with ABB Software

A cruise ferry fueled by liquefied natural gas will use ABB software to manage its energy use.

STX Finland is building the NB 1376 at its Turku, Finland shipyard, and will deliver the ferry to Viking Line in 2013. A 214-meter vessel with a top speed of 22 knots and a capacity of 2,800 passengers, the ship will connect Turku with Stockholm, Marine Log reports. It will be the first passenger vehicle of this size to be fueled with LNG.

The ferry uses a Wärtsilä-built LNG fuel system, which the companies say will reduce sulphur oxide emissions to almost zero, and cut nitrogen oxide to at least 80 percent below the International Maritime Organization’s current requirements. The ship will also cut particulate emissions by over 90 percent and carbon dioxide by 20 to 30 percent compared to the emissions from conventional diesel engines, the companies say.

Viking Line will use ABB’s energy management system for marine applications (EMMA) to help manage energy-related decisions. The software automatically regulates power consumption and is “as easy to operate as a traffic light,” Viking Line project manager Kari Granberg said.

EMMA compares and analyzes current and historical operational data, calculates optimal operating conditions and advises the crew on areas for improvement. The system is based on ABB energy management automation software used by more than 60 process industry customers.

Last year Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, a Japanese shipping giant, announced it is building an LNG-fueled car carrier whose nitrogen emissions are up to 90 percent lower than those of traditional, diesel vessels. The ship’s carbon dioxide emissions should also be 40 percent lower, the company said.