Wärtsilä, RINA Propose "Novel Propulsion Arrangement"

MarineLink June 9, 2021

The new propulsion arrangement designed by Wärtsilä and RINA offers a future-proof and efficient alternative to conventional designs. © Wärtsilä Corporation

Wärtsilä and classification society RINA announced a 'novel propulsion arrangement' that is designed to offer the benefits of full redundancy, less machinery, lower capital expenditure, reduced operational complexity, and optimized fuel consumption.

The conventional approach in ship design has been to use 2-stroke engines for propulsion and 4-stroke engines for electric power generation. The Wärtsilä / RINA arrangement requires just two 4-stroke dual-fuel (DF) engines, with options for electric power back-up from batteries or a small DF generator when the ship is idle. According to the manufacturer and the class society, the design can achieve a reduction of up to 50 percent from the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) reference level value, and immediate compliance with the IMO’s 2030 targets.

Highlights of the System:

Single engine needed for both propulsion and electric power
Ship design EEDI value can be lowered by up to 50 percent
Immediate compliance with IMO 2030 targets

The arrangement features Wärtsilä 31DF engines operating with LNG fuel. At current shipping speeds, the system performance of the new arrangement provides at least the same, or better efficiency than an equivalent 2-stroke design. At slower speeds, it has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emission levels even further.