By
Laura Hyde |
Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 10-year lifecycle agreement to provide maintenance services and operational support for Spanish ferry operator Baleària’s high-speed catamaran ro-pax ferries.
The agreement will ensure key design values of the Margarita Salas and the Eleanor Roosevelt ferries, which include high efficiency, customer comfort, reduced operating costs and environmental sustainability, are maintained while they are in service. The agreement is designed to meet the specific operating needs of the vessels and covers maintenance planning, spare parts and services for scheduled maintenance, as well as operational support. Wärtsilä will also provide its Expert Insight digital predictive maintenance service.
“We feel confident with Wärtsilä solutions which will help us to deliver the high performance and comfort level we offer to our clients, while lowering the emissions of our operations,” said Juan Pablo Molina, corporate technical director at Baleària. “The reliability of our service is naturally of key importance to our customers, and this agreement with Wärtsilä provides us the highest expertise from the manufacturer to optimally maintain the vessel at all times.”
Built at the Astilleros Armon Gijon yard in Spain, Margarita Salas operates with four Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines, four Wärtsilä WXJ hydraulic waterjets and features two Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage and supply systems. It entered service in July 2024, while its sister vessel, Eleanor Roosevelt, was delivered earlier with the same Wärtsilä scope.
“Following the successful delivery of our equipment to the ferry newbuild, we are proud to be supporting Baleària with keeping the vessel reliable operations as efficiently as possible during its lifecycle,” said Miguel Sanchez, director sales South Europe and Africa for Wärtsilä Marine. “We have been working with the ferry industry for many years now and have seen an increased number of ferries serviced under long-term agreements, totalling 37 today. This agreement is the fifth we are honoured by Baleària and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership on this decarbonisation journey.”