Isle of Man UK/Douglas-based Steam Packet Company announced that its newbuild ferry MANXMAN will be powered by the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine (a hybrid powertrain).
Finland-headquartered engine manufacturer Wartsila was selected to supply not only the vessel's main engines but also the propulsion package (including the transverse thrusters), the navigation system, Navigation Bridge console, ballast water treatment system. The package was described as “a state-of-the-art bridge to propeller solution”.
While full details of the MANXMAN ship have not yet been released, a total of 4 "Wartsila 31" diesel engines are already ordered (two 8-cylinder, two 10-cylinder). Waste heat recovery and energy storage batteries are incorporated into the cruise ship design.
MANXMAN (scheduled for delivery in 2023-Q1) will replace BEN-MY-CHREE as the flagship of Steam Packet Co. Specifically designed for the route Douglas (Isle of Man)-Heysham (Lancashire England), the new ferry will be built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co Ltd (one of Korea's largest shipbuilding companies) located in Ulsan.
Although most specifications of the newbuild have yet to be revealed, Wärtsilä’s press release unveils that MANXNMAN is to be 132 metres long.