Yichang Marine Diesel Engine Plant News

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Zhejiang Yungpu Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. (YUNGPU) in China's Zhejiang Province agreed last December on licensing of the technology incorporated into the Mitsubishi-UE, MHI's low-speed marine diesel engines. The licensing became effective late last month. YUNGPU is the third Chinese company to be licensed Mitsubishi-UE engine technology. YUNGPU plans to complete manufacture and delivery of the first unit by the end of this year. The engines licensed to YUNGPU are the UEC37LSII and UEC33LSII, small-size marine diesels with cylinder bores of 370 and 330 millimeters (mm), respectively. Under the licensing agreement YUNGPU can manufacture, sell and provide after-sale services for engines in China.

The Sulzer RT-flex engines with the new common-rail technology for fuel injection and valve operation are proving to be popular with shipowners resulting in a steady intake of confirmed orders. The most recent newbuildings to be equipped with Sulzer RT-flex engines are four 110,000 tdw Aframax product tankers contracted at Dalian New Shipbuilding Ltd in the People's Republic of China by the Danish owner A/S Dampskibsselskabet Torm. The ships are for delivery between the first quarter 2006 and the second quarter 2007. The tankers will each be propelled by a Sulzer 7RT-flex58T-B low-speed engine of 14,875 kW (20,230 bhp) maximum continuous output at 105 rev/min. The four engines will be built under licence from Wärtsilä Corporation by Dalian Marine Diesel Works in China.

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…

Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd and Yichang Marine Diesel Engine Plant (YMD) of Yichang, China, jointly signed an agreement in January 2007 to extend the existing licence 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…