Wärtsilä Engines To Power Queen Mary 2
Wärtsilä Corporation will deliver four Wärtsilä 46 EnviroEngines totaling 67.2 MW power output for Cunard Line's new luxury transatlantic liner, Queen Mary 2. These engines will incorporate the latest common-rail fuel injection technology for operation without any visible smoke. Due for delivery in late 2003 by the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint Nazaire, the "Queen Mary 2" will be the world's largest passenger vessel. Measuring 345 m long by 40 m beam and drawing 10 m, the 150,000 grt liner will have a maximum speed of about 30 knots. Electrical power for propulsion and all shipboard services will be generated by a 115.5 MW combined diesel- and gas turbine-electric power plant.
Wärtsilä to Discontinue Production in Turku
The second part of Wärtsilä's business analysis, started last autumn, has now been finalized. In addition to reductions in capacity already decided, the company also plans to discontinue engine manufacture at its Turku factory. The manufacture of large engines will be centered at Trieste, Italy. Under this plan the Turku unit will concentrate on service and maintenance activities. The Turku unit employs 680 at the moment. Consultations related to this plan will be started in Finland with personnel representatives on the reduction of about 480 employees in Turku. The number of employees in the Turku unit is estimated to be approximately 200 in the structure. The Trieste factory, the Group's largest in size, is equipped to manufacture a number of products simultaneously.
Danish Two-Stroke Bastion
As part of the drift of heavy industrial activity from Europe to the Far East, production of two-stroke diesel propulsion machinery has become the province of the leading national players in newbuild construction. However, close to the northern tip of Jutland, MAN B&W's Alpha Diesel division has restored a substantial Danish capability for low-speed engine manufacturing, to the extent that its Frederikshavn works has emerged as a bastion of European two-stroke production. The extension in the market reach of the already diversified plant, renowned for its integrated propulsion packages based on four-stroke drives, is a clear endorsement of the substantial investments made by MAN B&W in dedicated facilities in recent years. It is no less an expression of industrial and commercial will.
Wärtsilä Negotiates Staff Reduction
production volume of the Turku Factory during the fall. Negotiations have been in progress with personnel since the beginning of August on various solutions to adjust to the decrease in manufacturing volume. Alternatives include temporary employee relocation to other units, internal training and reorganized working hours. A local agreement has been reached with salaried employees to reorganize working hours to adjust to the production volume. However, so far sufficiently effective action has not been identified for meeting the situation in all respects despite the positive approach taken by both management and personnel. In further negotiations to adjust capacity and load one alternative on the table will be temporary personnel layoffs.
Wärtsilä Confirms Layoffs at Turku
Negotiations with personnel representatives at Wärtsilä's Turku Factory have concluded. The factory will implement temporary layoffs in order to adjust the capacity to prevailing production volume. The layoffs will apply to 350 workers and will come into effect in mid-October. The layoffs will be implemented step by step this fall and during the first months of 2003.
