SMC happy ending to fairytale LNG ferry project

First two LNG-fuelled vessels at TT-Line fleet

Like the rest of its fleet, TT-Line named the two vessels after characters from children’s fairy tales. “Peter Pan” and “Nils Holgersson” are propelled by four medium-speed engines, with four electrical power generated diesel-generators and two shaft alternators. Both the main engines and diesel generators can be operated on MGO or LNG. These green ferries, the first two LNG-fuelled vessels in the TT-Line fleet, will operate between the ports of Trelleborg (Sweden), Travemunde and Rostock (Germany), Swinoujscie (Poland) and Klaipeda (Lithuania). Together with TT-Line’s other new ‘green ships’, the new ferries will use the very latest technologies to improve the environmental balance of ship operation.

SMC was engaged in the project in early 2018 to provide technical consultancy services covering review and negotiations of ship building contract, technical specification, makers list, as well as conducting plan approval and construction supervision from 2019 to the end of 2022. Like all good fairy tale characters, “Peter Pan” and “Nils Holgersson” had many stories and challenges to share after their combined three years in the yard – all the way from steel cutting to delivery – but there was a feeling of great pride amongst the whole SMC team when each of them sailed away to the Client’s satisfaction. Despite tight delivery time frame and the challenges posed by multiple lockdowns and the Covid-19 regulations, the SMC team were also able to identify the areas of improvement based on the first vessel and make modifications to the second one – resulting in a truly happy ending.

New insights

SMC benefited greatly from the sharing of information between all the parties involved in the development and execution of this technologically sophisticated project. The SMC team not only gained new insights into the quality and performance expectations of its European Clients from passenger vessels sector but also a better understanding of the complex rules and regulations involved in the design, construction and commissioning of modern passenger vessels. SMC also gained further experience on the LNG propulsion and power generation systems for non-LNG carriers. Thanks to the many brainstorming sessions, lessons learnt analyses, and consultations with the owners, designers and production teams, SMC acquired a greater knowledge of what is possible from a production perspective and what remains on the drawing board.

“This project was one of the most challenging in my 50 years in the marine industry but it was also one of the best – conducted to the highest standards I’ve ever been involved in,” says Steve Nolan, who managed the TT-Line project as Technical Director of SMC. “Thanks to the new insights gained and the knowledge shared between the different disciplines in SMC, TT-Line, interior expert R&M, Classification Society and, of course, the Shipyard, we were able to produce a vessel that far exceeded most people’s expectations of performance and quality.”

The SMC site team and DNV team attending sea trials.

Looking back, Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of SMC, recalled the reasons why SMC was chosen for this exciting project: “Our initial approach of sending a team to match the Client’s team in the negotiation stages was decisive. It was expensive at the time, but it showed our commitment to the project, our straightforward planning and thinking, and our willingness to accommodate Clients’ requirements.”