Wärtsilä Extends License Agreement to Yichang Marine Diesel

Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd and Yichang Marine Diesel Engine Plant (YMD) of Yichang, China, jointly signed an agreement in January 2007 to extend the existing license agreement for the manufacture and sale of Wärtsilä low-speed marine diesel engines. The new agreement enables YMD to deliver also certain types of low-speed engines designed and developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Japan. Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd is fully owned by Wärtsilä Corporation, Finland, and is Wärtsilä's centre for low-speed marine diesel engines.

YMD currently manufactures Wärtsilä low-speed marine engines between 48 and 70 cm bore. These include the Wärtsilä RT-flex50 electronically-controlled common-rail engine, of 5,800-13,280 kW output, which is tailored exactly to the propulsion requirements of various sizes of bulk carriers in the handymax to panamax size range, product tankers and feeder container vessels.

With the new agreement, YMD will also sell and manufacture Mitsubishi low-speed marine engines of small bore size up to 50 cm which cover a power range of 1,230-13,280 kW. These will be delivered to Chinese shipyards. This extension to the Wärtsilä license is made in the framework of the strategic alliance formed in August 2005 in the field of two stroke diesel engines by Wärtsilä and Mitsubishi.