Wärtsilä Generating Sets for Sovcomflot Tankers

Wärtsilä Corporation has recently been awarded a contract by Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg to supply 12 generating sets based on Wärtsilä 20 diesel engines for tanker newbuildings for the Russian shipowner OAO "Sovcomflot". The generating sets will be installed in four 47,000 tdw product tankers due for delivery in 2004 and 2005. Two of the sets in each ship will be powered by Wärtsilä 8L20 engines, with the third being driven by a Wärtsilä 4L20 engine. The three sets will have a combined power of 3400 kW at 900 rev/min. A special requirement for the generating sets is for stability of the electrical power supply. This is being ensured by employing oversized alternators. Sovcomflot is the largest Russian shipowner and operates world-wide. The company fleet comprises 60 ships with a total capacity of 3.51 million tonnes deadweight. It is a relatively modern fleet with an average age of 6.76 years by deadweight. Tankers form the majority of the tonnage, 3.18 million tdw in 33 ships. They include crude oil carriers, product tankers and chemical carriers, and all have double hulls.