Viking Line said the company’s new LNG-powered ferry, Viking Glory, has begun its journey from Xiamen, China, to its home port of Turku in Finland.
China’s Xiamen Shipbuilding delivered the vessel to Viking Line on December 23. It left the shipyard on Tuesday on a journey that would take up to five weeks, according to a Viking Line statement.
After crossing the Indian Ocean, Viking Glory would sail to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal and after passing Gibraltar would head north and reach the Baltic Sea via the Danish straits, the firm said.
A crew of 40 people under the command of Captain Ulf Lindroos climbed aboard Viking Glory in China. Also, sub-contractors would board the vessel en route to complete some additional work, the firm said.
LNG Prime reported on this newbuild in November after it had completed its second sea trial.
The newbuild will join the Finnish company’s Viking Grace that holds the title of the world’s first-ever large ferry to run on LNG.
Viking Line expects the new ship to use up to 10 percent less fuel than Viking Grace despite the fact that the newbuild is larger. It invested about 225 million euros ($255 million) in the project.
Viking Glory features six 31DF dual-fuel engines from Wartsila but also the firm’s storage and supply system. In addition, the vessel has ABB’s azipod propulsion.
The vessel will replace Amorella as well as provide about 500 lane meters of additional capacity on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route in the Baltic Sea. It has a capacity for 2,800 passengers in 922 cabins.
Viking Line said it would put the vessel in service in March 2022.
