Fuel-flexible four-stroke engines selected for nine Grimaldi ropax newbuilds

Italy’s Grimaldi Group has selected Wärtsilä fuel-flexible 46F main engines and propulsion solutions for nine methanol ropax vessels under construction in China. Ordered in 2025 from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) for US$1.5Bn, the newbuilds are for the group’s Grimaldi Lines, Finnlines and Minoan Lines brands and will be delivered in 2028-2030.

The newbuildings are part of Grimaldi’s fleet renewal programme aimed at reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions from its shipping operations. Four vessels for Grimaldi Lines, three for Finnlines and two for Minoan Lines. The orders for the engines, propulsion systems and scrubbers were booked by Wärtsilä in 2025, while the order for the hybrid-electric system for the Finnlines vessels was booked in Q1 2026.

All nine vessels will have four-stroke, medium-speed Wärtsilä 46F main engines, which offer a power range from 7.5 MW to 20 MW at 600 rpm and are available in 6L to 16V cylinder configurations. The modular engine platform comes in diesel, methanol-ready, and methanol versions. The Wärtsilä 46F methanol-ready is a traditional diesel engine that can be more easily converted to run on methanol because it shares key components with the Wärtsilä 46F Methanol.

A fourth variant, the Wärtsilä 46DF, is a dual-fuel engine optimised for LNG, and can also run on conventional fuels.

Because Wärtsilä 46F engines are based on a common platform, ship owners and operators are free to tailor their decarbonisation pathway to IMO and EU regulatory compliance targets, as well as to alternative fuel pricing and availability.

Wärtsilä will also supply its hybrid exhaust scrubber system, which has the flexibility to operate in both open and closed loop using seawater to remove 98% of SOx emissions, and reduce NOx and particulate matter from the ship’s exhaust.

To boost propulsion efficiency and reduce fuel consumption, the Finnlines vessels will have a hybrid-electric system. Wärtsilä will also provide transverse thrusters, two gearboxes, two controllable-pitch propellers with shaft lines, and a Wärtsilä ProTouch remote propulsion control system.

“Ferry operators face demanding operational requirements, from availability and efficiency to emissions compliance across variable routes,” said Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine and EVP at Wärtsilä Corp.

Finnlines ropax ferries serve the Helsinki, Finland – Travemünde, Germany route. Minoan Lines is one of the dominant passenger ferry operators in Greece, while Grimaldi Lines provides maritime connections in Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Greece and Tunisia.