The technology group Wärtsilä will supply an ultra-silent propulsion package for a new research vessel which will be built for the Faroe Islands Marine Research Institute.

The order was booked with Wärtsilä in June 2017 and the vessel is currently being built at the MEST shipyard in the Faroes.

The 54m long ship will be powered by two eight-cylinder Wärtsilä 20 engines and will have a silent Wärtsilä fixed pitch propeller and complete shaft line. The propulsion solution will significantly limit underwater radiated noise (URN) and meet the DNV Silent R notation.

Wärtsilä will also supply a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to clean the engine exhaust of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

The research vessel is scheduled to commence operations in mid-2020, and will be used to help provide a basis for the responsible exploitation of the marine resources around the Faroe Islands.