Four For Three

Wärtsilä announced it will supply waterjets and controls for a new 10,800 gross tonne high-speed ferry being built for Spanish company Naviera Armas. The vessel is being built at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania, Australia.

“We have extensive experience with Wärtsilä waterjets and know that they can deliver the power and reliability demanded by the owners,” said Incat’s Tim Burnell. “The project is based on getting ferry customers to their destination in the most efficient manner and with the highest level of comfort and reliability. We are confident the Incat design and propulsion package incorporating Wärtsilä waterjets is the best choice to achieve this goal.”

The 109 m wave-piercing vessel will be the third Incat-built high speed catamaran to join the Naviera Armas fleet. All three ships incorporate four Wärtsilä LJX 1500SRI waterjets, driven by four MAN 20 V engines rated 9100 kW each through four ZF NR2H 60000 gearboxes. The design gives the vessel a service speed of 35 knots while carrying 1200 passengers and crew and as many as 390 automobiles.

“The proven design of the Wärtsilä LJX 1500SRI waterjet encompasses high efficiency, excellent hydrodynamic performance, minimized noise and vibration and less maintenance,” said Arto Lehtinen, vice president, Propulsion, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “Not surprisingly therefore, it is rapidly becoming the waterjet of choice for owners and shipyards around the globe.”

The new ferry is scheduled to commence operations in 2019 and the four Wärtsilä waterjets with a control system will be delivered to the yard in October 2018. Wärtsilä has worked closely with Incat for almost 30 years and this is the second order placed by the yard with Wärtsilä this year. Altogether, 174 modular Wärtsilä waterjets have been delivered to Incat, the company said.