Shanghai: Wärtsilä's $13.4m joint venture with a China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary, Zhenjiang CME, has inaugurated a new fixed-pitch propeller factory in the Jiangsu province. The Wartsila CME Zhenjiang Propeller factory, the biggest of its type in China and one of the largest in the world, has doubled Wärtsilä's manufacturing capacity to 6500 tonnes of fixed-pitch propellers.
"Doubling the production capacity is a logical step, as shipbuilding in China is experiencing tremendous growth," said Ole Johansson, Wärtsilä president and ceo. "Together with our joint venture company, we are now able to offer advanced propulsion systems up to the largest sizes required."
The new factory will concentrate on larger fixed-pitch propellers, with diameters of more than five meters. The factory is designed for an annual production of about 200 propellers of that size, with individual weights up to a maximum of 140 tonnes. Production is expected to hit full capacity by the second half of 2008. The majority of the propellers will be sold to Chinese yards, while the remaining 15-20% will be exported to yards around the world. [28/06/07]
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