Best of both worlds with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines

Both vessels will be supplied with a Wärtsilä 50DF engine, a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP), a gearbox and related systems. The engines will be operated mainly on LNG, but the dual-fuel technology enables the operator to make the switch to conventional marine fuels if necessary, and to hedge for future developments in ship fuel cost and availability.

Crucially, the engine will allow the vessels –provided they are running on LNG – easily to meet the targets set out in the IMO’s sulphur 2020 deadline, with a sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissionsquotient of almost 0%. Additionally, CO2 emissions are reduced by nearly 25%, and NOx emissions fall beneath IMO-specified maximums by 85%.

The engines are will be delivered to Cosco (Dalian) shipyard, and Ningbo Xinle Shipbuilding Group together with trading partner, Shanghai CSR Hange Shipping Engineering. Wärtsilä claims that its 50DF boasts a thermal efficiency higher than with any other gas engine on the market.

‘Wärtsilä has been a pioneer in developing the technology that enables LNG carriers to utilize gas as a fuel, and the technical strength of this technology has provided considerable added value for our customers,’ said Aaron Bresnahan, sales vice president at Wärtsilä Ship Power. ‘Chinese owners are beginning to invest significantly in LNG carriers powered by dual-fuel engines, and these latest orders will add impetus to the market, both in China and globally.’