Northern Ireland Relies on Proven Voith Schneider Propellers for New Double-ended Ferry on Strangford Lough
Northern Ireland Relies on Proven Voith Schneider Propellers for New Double-ended Ferry on Strangford Lough.
The double-ended ferry MV Strangford has been in operation for more than 45 years, connecting the two towns of Portaferry and Strangford in the northern part of the Irish Sea. The Department for Regional Development Northern Ireland (DRDNI), responsible for the local ferry service, now decided to replace the old double-ended ferry MV Strangford, which had been equipped with Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP), with a new one. Given the reliability of this propulsion system, the DRDNI again chose the VSP propulsion concept for the new double-ended ferry.
The particular feature of this double-ended ferry is its docking at concrete ramps. Two special skegs at the vessel ends ensure stability while at the same time protecting the VSPs. These were therefore not arranged diagonally but along the centerline of the vessel. The new ferry will be able to carry 266 passengers (of which six are crew members) and 28 cars. As an alternative, 22 cars and two coaches or 20 cars and two road trains can be transported. To date, MV Strangford was limited to 18 cars and could not transport vehicles with a weight exceeding 7.5 tons.
The new double-ended ferry, with a length of 38.20 meters and a beam of 15.50 meters, will be propelled by two type 16R5 EC/120-1 Schneider Propellers.
What at first sight seems like a reconstruction of MV Strangford is in fact a significantly larger and more powerful vessel. The design of the new double-ended ferry, which has already undergone model testing, is closely related to its sister vessel, the much younger MV Portaferry II. To date, both vessels only served the Portaferry-Strangford route at the same time during peak times. As a rule, the operating authority alternates between them.
The Voith scope of supply includes two Voith Schneider Propellers (VSPs), two turbo couplings, two bow tooth couplings, and the electronic control system. The vessel is to achieve a service speed of 10.75 knots. The maximum vessel speed, reached using both 540 kW diesel engines, will exceed 12 knots. The new double-ended ferry is currently being built by the Cammell Laird shipyard in Liverpool.
Voith Turbo, a Group Division of Voith GmbH, is a specialist for intelligent drive solutions and systems. Customers from highly diverse industries such as oil and gas, energy, mining and metal processing, mechanical engineering, ship technology, rail and commercial vehicles rely on advanced technologies from Voith Turbo.
Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transportation & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs almost 39,000 people, generates 5.3 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the biggest family-owned companies in Europe.
This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 37 No.4 Issue last August 31,2015.
