Wärtsilä Corporation and CSSC Guangzhou Marine Diesel Co.Ltd (GMD), a member of the state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Group, have jointly signed a licence agreement for the manufacture and sale of Wärtsilä 2-stroke engines in China. It covers the entire engine portfolio with a power range of between 4,300 and more than 80,000 kW per engine. The signing ceremony took place today in Guangzhou, China and was attended by representatives of both companies, headed by Mrs. Lu Xiaoyan, Vice President of CSSC and Dr. Martin Wernli, President of Wärtsilä Switzerland Ltd.
With the shipbuilding industry increasingly concentrated in Asia, the local manufacture of Wärtsilä's marine engines is a key element in the company's growth strategy. GMD is based in the Panyu District, close to the major Chinese city of Guangzhou and the special administrative region of Hong Kong. Established in 2008, the company has production, testing and workshop facilities, making it an ideal partner for Wärtsilä in targeting the Chinese shipbuilding market.