M/S Viking Grace: The Largest Passenger Ship to Adopt LNG Fuel

As graceful as her name symbolizes, the Viking Grace passenger ship has truly re-defined the boundaries of contemporary maritime architecture and innovation. Built for the Scandinavian cruise operators, Viking Line, the Viking Grace is the first voyager vessel in the world to be fully operated by LNG fuel source.

However, since the vessel is also equipped with sustainable fueling systems such as petroleum fuel and diesel it is known more prominently as a ‘Multi-fueled voyager ferry vessel.’

The cruise vessel was built mainly to reduce the effects of cruising ships on its operational route while ensuring smooth functioning of its operations. Viking Grace LNG passenger ship was put into operation in the month of January, 2013, and cruises along the Finnish-Swedish route spanning Turku-Islands of Aland and Stockholm.

The construction of the LNG passenger ship was thoroughly planned with its construction starting, only after governmental stipulations were met by the Viking Line and the STX shipbuilding company.

The construction of the Viking Grace includes a lot of salient features, each of which can be explained as under:

• The entire cost of construction of the vessel totalled to about € 240 million
• The Viking Grace passenger ship has been designed by the reputed European ship designing corporate, dSign Vertti Kivi & Company
• Streamlined hull specially designed to provide for better movement on water. The unique hull system also enables lesser consumption of the fuel source while the vessel is in operation
• Usage of the LNG fuel source allows the vessel to curtail emissions of nitrogen oxide by almost 85%
• Reduction in GHG emissions by almost 15%
• State-of-the-art technological equipments to provide manoeuvring assistance to the vessel’s operability
• High operational speeds touching up to 22 knots
• Enabling of ‘ Uninterrupted Power Supply’ assistance to provide back-up during critical and exigency situations
• Viking Grace is powered by four 8L50DF duel fuel main engines from Wartsila and also has an LNGPac Wartsila fuel system.

The Viking Grace LNG passenger ship has a GRT of almost 60,000 tonnes. It measures around 214 meters lengthwise with a breadth of almost 32 meters  Around 2,800 voyagers can be luxuriously housed in its opulent cabins.

Future Expected Trends

Following the success of the Viking Grace LNG passenger ship, several other cruise ships have been planned to be built along the same lines. Global shipping engineering companies like Rolls Royce and Eaton have been approached to provide the necessary technological assistance in order to ensure that these newly proposed vessels impact the shipping sector as favorably as the Viking Grace.