Wärtsilä inks lifecycle agreement for new P&O Ferries
Written by Marine Log Staff
Photo:P&O Ferries
The world’s largest double-ended ferries, U.K.-based P&O Ferries’ 230-meter long M/V Pioneer and M/V Liberté, will be covered by a five-year lifecycle agreement with Wärtsilä. The agreement is designed to optimize the vessels’ operations, while providing maintenance cost predictability.
The M/V Pioneer commenced commercial operations in June 2023, while the M/V Liberté is scheduled to enter service in early 2024. The ferries sail between Dover, England and Calais, France.
Both vessels feature hybrid propulsion with battery power and four high-efficiency Wärtsilä 31 main engines. They are expected to produce 40% fewer emissions than the ships they replace.
The scope of the lifecycle agreement includes parts and maintenance services, as well as maintenance planning, operational support and Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight predictive maintenance service. This means issues can be identified before they cause a delay in the schedule — a big pain point for ferry operators as delays mean making up time through increasing speed, resulting in higher fuel bills and emissions.
“We are focused on making P&O Ferries the best ferry company in Europe and this includes doing everything possible to reduce our carbon footprint and protect the environment,” says Stephen Pitt, senior procurement manager at P&O Ferries. “The ability to leverage Wärtsilä’s advanced digital solutions is central to this – helping us to improve vessel uptime, save fuel and decrease emissions.”
“Wärtsilä shares P&O Ferries’ commitment to decarbonizing shipping operations. We are, therefore, extremely pleased to support these two environmentally friendly ferries by optimizing their operational performance. The lifecycle agreement represents a partnership for highest operational efficiency, and the experts supported by digitals tools to ensure minimal interruption, as well as reliable and sustainable operations,” says Lee Martindale, general manager, sales for U.K. & Ireland at Wärtsilä.
