Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a nine-year Lifecycle Agreement with Japanese domestic ferry operator Hankyu Ferry. The agreement covers the operator’s two latest vessels, the ‘Yamato’ and the ‘Settsu’, and is designed to ensure their uninterrupted service reliability. The ships’ performance is of particular importance, since Japan’s ferry industry is one of the most advanced and efficient in the world, and operators are required to meet strict environmental and safety regulations. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in Q3 2025.

Ferries play an important role in meeting the growing demand for environmentally sustainable transport options. This means ferry operators are under pressure to reduce costs, fuel consumption and emissions, all while keeping to vessel schedule without delay for the passengers. The Yamato and Settsu ferries carry trucks or cargo (such as foods) between Kansai and Kyushu. This is key for supporting a major challenge faced by the region with a lack of truck drivers and also for helping long-ride truck drivers rest while travelling onboard. With this in mind, operators such as Hankyu Ferry, are increasingly looking towards services and solutions which enable operations to run smoothly and efficiently.

“It is important that our ferries can operate sustainably, without disruption, which is why we have chosen to take advantage of this long-term lifecycle agreement with Wärtsilä. This allows us to focus on serving our customers, since we can be confident that the ships’ maintenance is being expertly handled,” comments Tsutomu Nishioka, Technical Manager, Hankyu.

The agreement includes remote operational support, partnership management, and condition monitoring systems, including Wärtsilä’s predictive maintenance service Expert Insight. In addition to providing reliable performance, the optimised maintenance procedures ensure best possible fuel consumption and lowest emissions.

“Hankyu is required by the Japanese authorities to fulfil stringent local environmental and operational requirements. They also take pride in delivering reliable, efficient and sustainable transportation. We then support the vessel’s crew remotely. With data we look to prevent things that can go wrong and if something happens we can then get the vessel back into operation as soon as possible. This new agreement will help Hankyu continue to meet the demands and requirements of their customers,” says Henrik Wilhelms, Director, Agreement Sales, Wärtsilä Marine.

Wärtsilä’s Lifecycle Agreements continue to deliver operational reliability and efficiency, as well as cost predictability, to owners and operators around the world. These agreements are tailored to the customer’s unique needs by combining the right services and solutions into a comprehensive agreement package.

Wilhelms continues: “With our Lifecycle Agreements, we provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ support and we minimise the environmental impact by ensuring maintenance procedures are optimised and sailing schedules are assured.”

The 195-metre long ferries, which were launched in 2020, serve the Shinmoji – Kobe route. Both vessels feature the highly efficient Wärtsilä 31 engine.