VESSEL REVIEW | Viking Glory – Viking Line’s newest large capacity ferry boasts innovative energy-saving systems

Viking Line recently took delivery of a new Ro-Pax ferry from China's Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Company (XSI).

Viking Glory has already begun sailing under the Finnish flag and operating on the route between Turku and Stockholm and also includes the Aland Islands off Finland. The DNV-classed, Deltamarin-designed 12-deck ferry has an ice class super 1A hull, a length of 222.55 metres, a beam of 35 metres, a draught of 6.8 metres, and capacity for 2,800 passengers, 200 crewmembers, and 1,500 lane metres of freight on three decks. The vehicle cargo will consist of a mix of 600 cars and 90 freight units.

The 922 passenger cabins are found on four decks. Other passenger areas include restaurants, bars, entertainment lounges, conference rooms, a spa, and duty-free shops. Design work on the interior spaces was provided by architecture firm Koncept.

Construction of the interior spaces and other facilities was done by the Almaco Group (passenger cabins), the ICF Group (lounges), Kone (passenger lifts), Sance and Northsea Offshore (conference rooms and spa), and TSI (restaurants). The cabin doors feature locking systems supplied by Stanley Security.

The vessel can reach a speed of 22 knots thanks to six dual-fuel engines with a total installed power of 33 MW and that can run on either LNG or biogas (once it becomes available). ABB electrically-powered azimuthing pod thrusters are fitted to enable faster turns and to generate eight per cent less water resistance compared to conventional propellers. Viking Line said Viking Glory is the first passenger vessel of its kind in the world to utilise this propeller system, which also minimises vibration and noise.

Berthing will also be made easy with the help of an automated mooring system that uses vacuum technology installed at the Port of Turku in Finland. The owner said the ferry's speed and the amount of time the main engines need to be used for harbour manoeuvres will be greatly reduced, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions further.

Viking Line added that the ferry was designed to be "climate-smart" with the ability to use up to 10 per cent less fuel compared to some of the older vessels in the company's fleet. There is also a system that recovers the waste cold from the use of LNG and recycle it for use in cold counters, cold rooms, and other special areas on board.

A Climeon energy recycling system harnesses waste heat from the engines and converts it into electricity. Viking Line said the system can generate up to 40 per cent of the electricity required for passenger functions. A dynamic air conditioning and lighting system is also installed, and it will be controlled by the booking system. If a cabin remains empty at departure, it will be set in a power-saving mode, thereby minimising air conditioning and heating for that particular cabin.

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