Poland’s Remontowa said it had started building the first LNG-powered RoPax ferry for Polskie Promy and operator Unity Line, a unit of state-owned Polska Zegluga Morska.
To mark the construction start and cut the first steel, Remontowa Shiprepair Yard in Gdansk held a ceremony on October 24, according to a social media post.
Back in November 2021, Remontowa revealed this contract which includes three LNG-powered RoPax ferries with a battery pack, the first such vessels in Poland.
Two of the LNG-powered vessels will work for Unity Line, while the third and the fourth optional vessel will sail for Polferries.
Moreover, Finland’s Wartsila won a contract to supply engines, fuel storage, and supply systems for the three vessels.
Each vessel will operate with four Wartsila 31DF dual-fuel engines.
According to Wartsila, the LNG-fueled engines can use bio-LNG, either on its own or blended with conventional LNG, to further reduce their carbon footprint.
Ferry companies Unity Line and Polferries expect to run the ferries entirely on bio-LNG by 2025, Wartsila previously said.
With an overall length of 195 meters, the vessels will have a capacity for 4,100 lane meters of freight and 400 passengers.
The ferries will work between Swinoujscie in Poland and the Swedish ports of Ystad and Trelleborg in the Baltic Sea.