Technology group Wärtsilä will supply an integrated hybrid propulsion system for two new hybrid RoRo vessels. The ships are being built at the China Merchants Jinling shipyard for the Swedish shipping company Stena RoRo. The ships will be the world’s first methanol fuelled hybrid RoRo vessels and will operate in the Stena Line Irish Sea system. The combination of new sustainable fuels and electrification is in line with the company’s sustainable operations target. Part of the order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q2 2023, while the remaining order was booked in Q3 2023.

Each vessel will be equipped with two Wärtsilä 32M multi-fuel engines capable now of operating on methanol fuel and with ammonia ready notation. Wärtsilä will also supply the MethanolPac fuel storage, supply and control system, the gearboxes, two controllable pitch propellers (CPP), three bow thrusters, the NACOS navigation system, three Wärtsilä 20 auxiliary engines, and the hybrid electric system consisting of shore power, batteries, shaft generators, converters, transformers as well as the Energy Management System making it all work together.

Each vessel will also benefit from the Wärtsilä Hybrid Solution, optimising the fuel consumption today and allowing for future full green operation. The vessels will also be equipped with Wärtsilä shore power solution enabling carbon-free operations when the vessels are in port.

“These vessels are a further development of our previous cargo ship concepts where the focus on sustainability and future-proofing with multi-fuel combustion engines are prioritised,” says Per Westling, Managing Director of Stena RoRo. “With the help of Wärtsilä’s advanced technology, we intend to have the greenest Ro-Ro vessels on the market.”

“We are proud to be supporting these innovative hybrid vessels with our methanol fuelled engines and electrification systems. Both Stena RoRo and Wärtsilä share the same commitment to decarbonising shipping operations, and these vessels represent a further step in this direction by being the first methanol hybrid ships in their class. Not only will the emissions be minimised, but they will also have the most efficient energy utilisation during operations,” commented Roger Holm, President of Wärtsilä’s Marine Power business.

The 147 metre long ships will have 2,800 lane metre capacity and will be able to accommodate a total of 37 passengers and crew. They are scheduled for delivery in June and November 2025. The Wärtsilä equipment will be delivered to the yard in 2024.

Wärtsilä has a strong relationship with Stena RoRo, and as early as 2015 Wärtsilä converted the Stena Germanica to operate on methanol fuel. The two companies are currently cooperating on a number of other Ro-Pax projects.