The maiden voyage of €30 million German ship has been postponed due to problems with its Wärtsilä DF engines.
Europe’s first LNG ferry was all set to sail to Cuxhaven for the first time this coming Saturday after naming at the Westkaje on the German Bight island of Heligoland.
A spokeswoman for AG Ems, the parent company of operators Cassen Eils, said the inauguration had been cancelled “because problems have arisen in the innovative LNG main engines which mean that operation is not possible at this time”.
Helgoland :
- 1180-passenger
- Originally been due into service last spring
- Has two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF medium-speed engines
- Engines provide 5,000kW and a top speed of 20 knots
The spokeswoman said however that builders Fassmer Werft and operators Cassen Eils were “working side by side to resolve the problems” and to work out a new operational time-table. “This just means that the pleasure has been deferred!”, she declared.
