Wärtsilä signs 10-year GAP agreement for LNG-fueled ferry

Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year Guaranteed Asset Performance (GAP) agreement with French ferry operator Corsica Linea covering the power systems onboard the new LNG-fueled A Galeotta roll-on/roll-off passenger (RoPax) vessel. The ship is capable of carrying up to 920 passengers and 160 cars and can travel at 22 knots. It will sail between Marseille and Corsica in France.

Corsica Linea’s LNG-powered ferry, A Galeotta, on sea trials. (Photo: Corsica Linea)

The 206-meter-long ferry was built at the Visentini yard in Italy, delivered to Corsica Linea in early December 2022 and entered commercial service in January 2023. It is powered by two Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel main engines and two Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines.

The engines and related equipment were selected for the vessel based on the Wärtsilä’s extensive experience in LNG systems and solutions, said Lionel Adenet, technical director, Corsica Linea.

“It is entirely natural, therefore, that we look to them to undertake the maintenance responsibilities, for which they are uniquely qualified,” he added.

The GAP agreement between the two companies covers scheduled maintenance of the main and auxiliary engines, the Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel gas-handling system and the gas valve units and all related auxiliaries. Maintenance will be carried out following data-driven dynamic maintenance planning principles, Wärtsilä said, which are designed to optimize overhaul intervals and allow maintenance work to be performed only as needed without compromising equipment reliability.

Remote operational support is available 24/7 from the company’s global Expertise Centres. In addition, the Expert Insight predictive maintenance service will be used to minimize potential problems in the engines before they occur. It continually monitors operational data from the engines, detecting and resolving any deviations using advanced diagnostics and machine learning.

The agreement also covers guaranteed field service support availability and time needed for major engine overhauls.

“With this agreement, we can support our customer with the most advanced partnership solution, including performance guarantees. It delivers cost predictability over the 10-year span, and will maximize the ship’s uptime, optimize performance and carbon footprint,” said Henrik Wilhelms, director agreement sales at Wärtsilä.

Corsica Linea and Wärtsilä have had a longstanding relationship covering more than 30 years. Various ships within Corsica Linea’s fleet are fitted with Wärtsilä solutions, and a large-frame agreement has been in place since 2010.