Wärtsilä Engines in Production in Korea

A series of electronically-controlled Sulzer RT-flex low-speed marine diesel engines are in production under license from Wärtsilä Corporation in the Ulsan works of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd in Korea. The engines are a series of four Sulzer 7RT-flex60C engines for a series of four 30,000 tdw multi-purpose carriers contracted at Shanghai Shipyard in China by Chinese-Polish Joint Stock Shipping Co (Chipolbrok). The 7RT-flex60C has a maximum continuous power of 16,520 kW (22,470 bhp) at 114 rev/min. The first of these engines passed its official shop test in the Ulsan works on January 27. The second engine recently started its shop testing and will be demonstrated to a large group of guests on March 6. The guests are mainly from East Asia and include shipowners, ship operators and shipbuilders, together with representatives from classification societies and other interested organizations. Series production of Sulzer RT-flex electronically-controlled engines has been underway for just over two years. The first engine, a Sulzer 6RT-flex58T-B, passed its official shop test in January 2001 and has been in service in the bulk carrier 'Gypsum Centennial' since September 2001 with excellent results. This first Sulzer RT-flex engine was also built under Wärtsilä license by Hyundai. Two Sulzer 7RT-flex60C engines have already been completed in Wärtsilä's Trieste factory in Italy, with the first having successfully passed its official shop test on October 14, 2002.