Dutch Ferry Newbuilds to be Fitted with MSN LNG Fuel Systems
Netherlands marine specialist Marine Service Noord has received an order from the Australian shipyard
Strategic Marine for the design and mechanical installation of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fuel
systems for two new ferries for Doeksen, a Dutch company operating passenger and freight services to
the West Frisian Islands. Strategic Marine, an Australian shipyard with multiple building locations in
Australia, Singapore and Vietnam, will build the ferries at the shipyard located in the Vietnamese city
Vung Tau.
At first MSN and Doesksen discussed plans to modify Doeksen’s existing m/v Noord Nederland to be
able to use LNG instead of marine gas oil but this modification was found to be economically unfeasible.
Subsequently, two dedicated LNG fuel newbuilds were decided upon as the best way forward,
eliminating any requirement for marine gas oil.
The new ferries will be 70 meters in length and 17 meters wide and can each carry up to 600 passengers
and 64 cars each. Each of the two parallel hulls will be fitted with a fuel gas installation and LNG tank. A
LNG feed pump supplies the gas at the necessary pressure to the engines. The ferries are planned to be
delivered in March 2018 and will be sailing between Harlingen and Terschelling.
Marine Service Noord will design the entire LNG fuel system from the tanks up to the engines. The
installations will be built and assembled in its Westerbroek shipyard after which the installations will be
transported to Vietnam to be built in the ship’s hull by the local shipyard. The final commissioning works
will be done by MSN in the Netherlands.