Metso Corporation announced that it has received a contract to upgrade and expand the ship automation of M/S Stena Germanica, a RoPax vessel owned by Stena Line. Stena Line will have the vessel's main engines converted to run on methanol and marine gas oil as a dual-fuel concept. The project is to prove and showcase methanol as an innovative, safe and sustainable fuel for shipping, which consequently lowers the vessel's SOx and particulate emissions.

Metso will integrate the related control and monitoring functionalities within the vessel's automation system. The scope includes a new redundant process controller, I/O system and eight new data communication lines to the main engines' control system and methanol fuel pumps. With Metso's advanced automation solutions, the vessel will be able to efficiently control the fuel plant and meet the new exhaust gas emission regulations set forth by International Maritime Organization and the European Union.

The delivery also includes an upgrade of the existing Damatic XD automation system installed when the vessel was built in 2001. The control room stations and related communication network will be upgraded to the latest version of Metso DNA automation technology. Also included is a Metso DNA Trend & Event Archive with analyzing tools for process values and events.

Additionally, the main engines' remote control system will be modernized with two new redundant process controllers, an I/O system and two dedicated touch screen user interfaces.