Wärtsilä has entered into a nine-year lifecycle agreement with Hankyu Ferry, a Japanese ferry operator, to oversee vessel maintenance and support for the ferries ‘Yamato’ and ‘Settsu’.
Under the agreement, Wärtsilä will deliver remote operational support, partnership management, and condition monitoring for these vessels.
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The contract also includes Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight predictive maintenance tool.
Both ferries operate on the Shinmoji–Kobe route in Japan and are powered by Wärtsilä 31 engines.
The Yamato and Settsu vessels, each 195m long and launched in 2020, play a key role in transporting trucks and cargo such as food between Kansai and Kyushu.
Hankyu technical manager Tsutomu Nishioka said: “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.
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By GlobalData“This allows us to focus on serving our customers, since we can be confident that the ships’ maintenance is being expertly handled.”
Japanese ferry operators must comply with environmental and safety standards, according to Wärtsilä.
The company stated that the agreement supports efficient vessel management by helping operators control operational costs, reduce fuel consumption, and minimise emissions.
Wärtsilä marine agreement sales director Henrik Wilhelms said: “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.”
In September this year, Wärtsilä secured a contract to deliver a fully integrated electric propulsion system for two new high-speed catamaran ferries.
Commissioned by Danish ferry operator Molslinjen, these battery-electric vessels will be built at the Incat shipyard in Tasmania and are intended to operate on the Kattegat route.
