Dual Fuel Engine Technology News

Vessel owners are making new fuel choices, but increasingly, they have options to help reduce the risk of doing so.The latest engine developments aim to make it easier for owners to avoid the chicken-and-egg fuel price and availability risks of new fuels.As Roger Holm, President of Wärtsilä Marine and Executive Vice President at Wärtsilä Corporation recently pointed out, the challenge is that owners won’t commit to a fuel today that is expensive, only produced in small quantities and may be usurped by another fuel that scales faster and more affordably.

Swiss marine power company WinGD has teamed up with global shipping line CMA CGM to test its Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) technology for dual-fuel engines onboard one of CMA CGM’s vessels.The collaboration marks the first field test for the new dual-fuel engine technology and follows successful factory tests showing significant efficiency improvements with both diesel and LNG fuel.The CMA CGM project comprises a long-term, full-scale test to confirm operability and reliability.Onboard testing is expected to begin following the dry-docking of the vessel in September…

United Arab Emirates' ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) has expanded its fleet with the deployment of five new-build Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGC), state news agency WAM reported on Thursday.The carriers of the shipping and maritime logistics arm of state oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company each have a capacity of 86,000 cubic metres. The carriers were built at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, China, and will be owned and operated by AW Shipping, an ADNOC L&S joint venture with Wanhua Chemical Group (Wanhua), WAM added.

Wärtsilä said it will supply the engines, waterjets and fuel storage and supply system for a new high speed catamaran ferry. The vessel is being built at the Incat yard in Tasmania, Australia on behalf of Argentinian ferry operator, Buquebus. Having an overall length of 130 meters, a width of 32 meters and the capacity to carry 2,100 passengers and 226 cars, it will be the largest aluminum catamaran ever built by Incat. The order with Wärtsilä was placed in July 2022.The vessel…

While many companies talk about decarbonization, United European Car Carrier (UECC) acts, as proven by its recent acceptance of the world’s first dual-fuel LNG battery hybrid PCTC, Auto Advance, delivered from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and Maritime Reporter & Engineering News’ 2021 Great Ship of the Year.The ship is the first in a series of three newbuild pure car and truck carriers (PCTC), measuring 169 by 28 meters with capacity for 3600 vehicles on 10 cargo decks. The remaining…

In a live-stream presentation from its Copenhagen Research Center, MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated advanced dual-fuel engine technology for low-cost, fuel-efficient operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and other vessels where low capital outlay is a priority. Tom Mulligan, science &and technology correspondent, reports.MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated its latest low-speed, dual-fuel engine, the MAN B&W ME-GA type, an Otto-cycle variant of the company’s successful ME-GI engine, at a ceremony live-streamed from its Copenhagen Research Center.

With methane slip regulations looming as a possibility on the horizon, Sweden-based Alfa Laval and global Swiss engine developer WinGD say they have already cooperated on a solution. The Alfa Laval PureCool system is the main component in WinGD’s iCER technology, an option for next-generation WinGD X-DF engines that slashes methane slip and boosts fuel and energy efficiency.As a growing number of vessels turn to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel to meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) emissions reduction targets…

The biggest and most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled engine ever built has received type approval from classification society Bureau Veritas (BV), Switzerland-based engine manufacturer Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) said on Wednesday.BV awarded the approval for WinGD’s dual-fueled 12X92DF engines, the first series of which is currently being built by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) and will power nine ultra-large container ships (ULCS) -- the largest ever powered…

When the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2019, the maritime world enters a bold new era of emission reduction. With its growing fleet of methanol fueled ship and more than 60,000 hours of operating experience under its belt, Waterfront Shipping Company has a five-year headstart.As a general rule, shipowners are remiss to share insights on their operations, lest their competitors catch wind and leverage the same technology and savings. The case of Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd.

Finnish corporation Wärtsilä has launched the 31SG pure gas engine for marine market applications.The 31SG is based on the successful Wärtsilä 31 product platform; the diesel version of the engine has been recognized by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine.The Wärtsilä 31SG engine further reduces the total cost of ownership and the environmental footprint for vessels operating in regions where there is a developed gas infrastructure. The commercial launch of the Wärtsilä 31SG takes place in September at the Gastech 2019 conference and exhibition being held in Houston, Texas, as well as at the Neva St.

Harvey Energy, the first platform supply vessel (PSV) to be fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) will become the first PSV in the Americas to be hybrid retrofitted. The vessel's owner, Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf International Marine, has ordered an energy storage solution from the technology group Wärtsilä to significantly enhance Harvey Energy's efficiency and environmental performance.The installation of a Wärtsilä 1450 kW battery hybrid solution will reduce the ship’s exhaust emissions, fuel consumption, and noise level.

CSSC Wärtsilä Engine Co Ltd (CWEC), the joint venture company formed between Wärtsilä and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has formally opened its new production facilities located at Lingang, Shanghai. The opening ceremony took place on 9 January, and was attended by top executives from both Wärtsilä and CSSC. The new 20,000 m2 production plant is the first in China capable of locally producing large-bore, medium speed diesel and dual-fuel (DF) engines. The plant will also manufacture medium-bore, medium speed diesel and DF engines. Wärtsilä 26, Wärtsilä 32, Wärtsilä 34DF, Wärtsilä 46F and Wärtsilä 46DF engines will be produced at the factory, which has a planned production capacity of 180 engines per year.

MaK together with Caterpillar’s Marine Asset Intelligence organization has announced that they have partnered with DNV GL to help make the change from time based maintenance to condition based maintenance by leveraging the predictive analytics of Cat Asset Intelligence in accordance with DNV GL’s Survey Arrangement Machinery Condition Monitoring (CM) requirements. The Survey Arrangement of DNV GL recognizes, across multiple dimensions, the value that an industry leading condition based monitoring system such as Cat Asset Intelligence provides to ship owners. First, by using data analytics to provide transparency and validate equipment condition, unnecessary maintenance expense can be avoided by right-sizing maintenance to condition and not to the calendar.

The design and technical features of Finland's newest icebreaker Polaris were presented on Monday, June 6, in Helsinki as part of the CIMAC World Congress. IB Polaris is the most environmentally friendly diesel-electric icebreaker ever built. It uses both low sulphur diesel and LNG as fuel, which significantly reduces its emissions. The special hull form and propulsion arrangement will minimize ice resistance and maximize the icebreaking capacity of the vessel. The main purpose of IB Polaris is icebreaking and assisting of other vessels in ice conditions in the Baltic Sea.

On April 5, 2016 Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), together with Doosan Engine Co., Ltd demonstrated the first low-speed low-pressure Wärtsilä six-cylinder X62DF (W6X62DF) engine for a commercial application. The event took place at Doosan’s works in Changwon, Korea and the W6X62DF engine is also the first sold X-DF engine for the new generation of very large LNG carriers. It is currently under test by Doosan before delivery and is one of a pair that will power the first of two 180…

A new 5,800-cubic-meter LNG bunker and feeder vessel, being built for Sirius Veder Gas AB at Royal Bodewes, Hoogezand, in the Netherlands, will be powered by a Wärtsilä propulsion solution. Wärtsilä, who received the contract in September, will supply a propulsion package comprising a six-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel main engine capable of running on either LNG or diesel, a reduction gearbox with power take-off (PTO), a shaft line suitable for use with environmentally friendly lubricants and equipped with a Wärtsilä Airguard aft seal that allows zero emissions, and a Wärtsilä controllable pitch propeller. The latest Wärtsilä 34DF engine version features high power output and reduced fuel consumption in both gas and diesel modes, according to the manufacturer.

Wärtsilä and Clean Marine Energy (Europe) Ltd (CME) today announced the landmark signing of the shipping industry's first collaboration agreement that will provide a convenient funding solution to drive the uptake of exhaust gas cleaning technology. The move is intended to ease the financial burden on ship owners seeking to install scrubber systems in order to meet sulphur emissions legislation. The financing solution, similar to those prevalent and proven in the building environment space, enables a ship owner to repay the cost of the scrubber system installation via a fuel adder, i.e. a fuel premium on the price of HFO by which the ship owner repays the cost of installing the scrubber.

A specialized LNG Bunker vessel to be built at the STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Company yard in South Korea on behalf of Shell will be powered by Wärtsilä DF dual-fuel engines. The ship will be used to deliver gas to LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) fuelled vessels in Northwest Europe. The newbuild contract is in direct response to the increasing acceptance by the shipping industry of LNG as a marine fuel. The engine order was placed with Wärtsilä in December 2014. Wärtsilä has been at the forefront of the trend towards LNG fuelled shipping. Its industry leading dual-fuel engine technology and gas supply and control systems have been largely responsible for the viability of gas as a fuel for ships.

Three large new escort tugs contracted by Norwegian operator Østensjø Rederi, will feature Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines integrated with a customized gas storage and supply system also supplied by Wärtsilä. The tugs will operate primarily on LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) but the Wärtsilä DF engines provide the flexibility to select the most suitable fuel according to availability, price and local environmental restrictions. The contract for the Wärtsilä solution was signed in December 2014. The design of the tugs has been carried out by the designer Robert Allan Ltd in Canada, in close cooperation with Østensjø Rederi. The overall LNG system…

Drydocks World (DDW) based in Dubai, UAE, has contracted Wärtsilä to design and supply the propulsion and other equipment for a new harbour tug that will operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG). This will be the first harbour tug in the Middle East region to operate on gas. The order was signed in November. The 29-meter-long tug is the first of a series of nine such vessels to be built and operated by DDW. The project is part of a green initiative launched by the Dubai government, and is intended to set an example for promoting environmental sustainability throughout the region. "We are happy to work with Wärtsilä to promote a green image for our harbour work. Wärtsilä is a solution provider with vast experience and expertise in gas fuel systems.

The Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) yard in South Korea has ordered a total of 54 Wärtsilä dual fuel engines to power 172,600 cbm icebreaking LNG carriers being built for use in arctic conditions to serve the Yamal LNG project in Northern Russia. The ships will be owned by one joint venture between Teekay LNG Partners of Canada and China LNG Shipping (CLNG), and another joint venture between China Shipping LNG Investment Co.,Ltd. (CSLNG) and Japan based Mitsui O.S.K.

Wärtsilä and Diesel United Ltd in Japan have signed a ten-year renewal of their co-operation agreement for the sale, manufacturing and servicing of Wärtsilä low-speed marine engines. Diesel United is a long-standing member of the Wärtsilä family of low-speed engine licensees. The renewal was signed on the 66th anniversary of the signing of the licence by Diesel United for Sulzer low-speed marine engines on 4 October 1948. This has been Diesel United's sole licence for low-speed two-stroke diesel engines throughout the years since then.

Finnish end-to-end cargo operator, Containerships, has ordered two additional new, state-of-the-art, dual-fuel engine-technology containerships. This follows an order announced earlier this year for two similar vessels. With the announcement, Containerships informed it will be the first shortsea container operator in Europe to run ships on LNG. “Our new ships will not just meet, but exceed all environmental standards in the Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) where we operate,” noted the CEO of Containerships, Kari-Pekka Laaksonen.