Wärtsilä Signs Lifecycle Agreements
Technology group Wärtsilä has signed two Lifecycle Agreements with Japanese operator Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd (SNF) for the maintenance and support of two ferries, ‘Hamayu’ and ‘Soleil’. Each ferry is powered by four Wärtsilä 31 engines. These agreements aim to ensure reliable and efficient performance on the busy Yokosuka and Shinmoji route. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in April 2024.
Ferries play a crucial role in meeting the demand for environmentally sustainable transport. Ferry operators are under increasing pressure to reduce costs, fuel consumption, and emissions, while maintaining strict schedules for passenger convenience. Services and solutions that ensure smooth and efficient operations are therefore highly sought after.
Operational Assurance and Efficiency
“It is very important that we operate according to the schedules and without delays, so being sure that the ships are in prime operating condition is essential. The two Wärtsilä agreements will give us this assurance and allow us to confidently concentrate on serving our customers in an optimal and most efficient way,” says Mr. Hisao Shimizu, General Manager, Marine Management, Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd.
The two five-year agreements cover the ‘Hamayu’ and ‘Soleil’ ferries and provide remote 24/7 support in case of need. The experts in Wärtsilä Expertise Centres are available to support the crew remotely whenever needed, giving guidance, advice, and recommendations. A cyber secure connectivity makes it possible to collaborate remotely in real-time. Getting the issues resolved quickly maximises the vessel uptime ensuring smooth operations.
The scope of the agreements also includes asset diagnostics and anomaly detection via Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight predictive maintenance service. Expert Insight proactively identifies and highlights potential failures and early indications of equipment deterioration that cause vessels to run less efficiently.
Director Thoughts
“If a vessel is well maintained, it not only allows it to operate reliably, therefore minimising delays and cancellations for passengers, it also saves fuel and generates less emissions. After all, key maintenance practices have a surprisingly big impact on the vessel’s efficiency and with data we can optimise and improve these even further. We are delighted to expand our long-standing partnership with SNF by supporting them with our Lifecycle Agreement for these two ferries and to help them improve the ships efficiency and reliability,” comments Henrik Wilhelms, Director, Agreement Sales, Wärtsilä Marine.
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Source: Wartsila
