Products & services

Wärtsilä to launch ground-breaking 2-stroke future fuels conversion solution and joins forces with MSC for technology demonstration

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 16 November 2021 16 November 2021

The technology group Wärtsilä will commercially launch its Two-Stroke Future Fuels Conversion platform during the first quarter of 2022. This innovative and patented engine combustion technology platform will enable the fast and cost-effective conversion of two-stroke main engines to operate on clean-burning future fuels. This is seen as a major step in the maritime industry’s efforts to achieve decarbonised shipping operations, while the easy retrofitting will avoid owners having to face long off-hire charter time.

In passenger shipping, two stroke engines are no longer used in cruise ships although they were chosen for a number of newbuildings in the early to mid 1980s but they are commonly used in large ropax ferries, in addition to various types of cargo vessels.

The retrofit conversion will initially enable operation with currently available LNG fuel, most importantly with negligible methane slip from the engine. The modular design of this concept provides a platform that will be further developed in order to allow for the adoption of alternative green fuels or fuel blends when they become commercially available.

The development programme has recently been concluded with successful initial engine tests in the Wärtsilä two-stroke engine laboratory in Trieste. MSC Shipmanagement has collaborated with Wärtsilä throughout the development as a key partner in the piloting and advancement of the platform towards future fuel applications. Representatives from MSC were in attendance during some of the testing procedures.

“Wärtsilä has taken a leading position in the development and delivery of smart technology solutions that will accelerate the realisation of our industry’s decarbonisation ambitions. This pioneering conversion solution is one more prime example of our capabilities and commitment. Its flexibility means that the first step towards adopting the use of future fuels can be taken now knowing that the investment will not become obsolete. The benefits, both economic and environmental, are significant,” says Roger Holm, President Marine Power & EVP Wärtsilä Corporation.

“We have been following the development of this innovative conversion solution with high interest and we regard it as a supporting element in MSC’s journey towards net zero decarbonisation by 2050. Together with Wärtsilä we have high expectations for the next steps of this initiative, which starts with technology demonstration on one of our larger container vessels with a Wärtsilä RT-flex96C-B main engine, and which will continue to make our existing fleet ready to meet future emissions needs,” says Prabhat Jha, CEO & Group Managing Director MSC Shipmanagement.

A world-first feature of the concept is the cryogenic fuel supply system, which together with a revolutionary injection system, provides flexible and optimised operational performance under all conditions. Among the other notable benefits delivered by this future-proofing solution are the capability to comply with upcoming environmental regulations and therefore providing assets with an extended operational life.

The conversion solution is aimed at vessels operating with two-stroke, electronically controlled engines. The concept can be complemented with Wärtsilä’s market-leading Fuel Gas Supply System to provide a complete turnkey solution. This will expand the company’s offering of fuel-flexible options to help meet its customers’ decarbonisation strategies.

The first commercial conversion project will be completed by mid-2023. The conversion concept is applicable to both large- and smaller bore engine types.

Wärtsilä integrates with MESPAS Connect

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 10 November 2021 10 November 2021

Wärtsilä, a world leader in marine technology, has integrated with maritime e-trading platform MESPAS Connect. For faster, easier and more efficient maritime procurement.

The web-based trading platform MESPAS Connect brings ship managers and maritime suppliers together in one online marketplace. Now Wärtsilä, one of the world’s leading suppliers to the maritime industry, is joining MESPAS Connect. Wärtsilä offers an extensive portfolio of innovative and integrated products and solutions for all shipping segments.

With the integration of Wärtsilä to MESPAS there is now a fully automated data flow between the two software systems. For ship managers using MESPAS Connect the benefits are huge: they receive immediate electronic offers from Wärtsilä with clear price indications. Gone are the days of requesting offers by email or telephone, tapping in individual product numbers and human error. The MESPAS system does it all automatically.

With the click of a button ship managers can request offers, place orders, receive invoices and approve payments. Wärtsilä can make offers, accept orders and send invoices. All in a matter of seconds.

This is modern procurement at its best. The whole process becomes faster, more streamlined, easy to use and efficient. With the integration of Wärtsilä, page1image3490176 go- to electronic platform for maritime procurement

MESPAS is the only maritime software supplier to work with a master database in the cloud. Built up over many years, it contains the technical details of the millions of pieces and machinery required on a ship. This unique dataset eliminates the necessity for typing in information, avoiding errors and reducing workload.

Wärtsilä leads the industry in its journey towards a decarbonised and sustainable future. With an extensive portfolio of products, integrated systems and lifecycle solutions, Wärtsilä delivers reliability, safety and environmental performance to enhance the business of its customers.

Together, MESPAS and Wärtsilä help their users to improve their business operations, resulting in faster, more efficient processes and reduced administrative workload.

Vow awarded NOK 44 milion clean tech cruise ship newbuild contract

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 31 October 2021 31 October 2021

Vow ASA’s subsidiary Scanship AS has been awarded a contract from an undisclosed shipyard to supply its advanced wastewater purification system, food waste processing and garbage handling for a cruise ship to enter service in 2024 within the global fleet of Carnival Corporation. Scanship will deliver all equipment under this contract during fall of 2022.

“We continue to build our orderbook as the cruise industry now returns to sea. With this award, our total order intake during second half of 2021, only within cruise part of our business, surpasses NOK 400 million. This really confirms cruise operators’ confidence in the market and commitment to invest in new climate friendly and sustainable operations”; says Vow CEO Henrik Badin

Vow ASA reported earlier this week in its 3Q trading update a record high NOK 2.1 billion order backlog including options.

Wärtsilä to install scrubbers on two Trasmed ropaxes

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 10 November 2021 10 November 2021

Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment will install its open loop exhaust gas abatement technology on two roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries owned by Spanish company Trasmed GLE S.L., which is part of the multinational logistics company Grimaldi Group. Trasmed GLE S.L. has selected four of Wärtsilä’s I-SOx open loop scrubbers with exhaust de-plume systems for the RoPax vessels Volcan del Teide and Ciudad de Granada which operate in the Mediterranean Sea. Each vessel will have four scrubbers installed, one on each main engine. The order was booked in November 2021.

The scrubbers are flexible to enable MARPOL Annex VI sulphur cap compliance, by scrubbing 3.5% HFO down to the 0.5% limit. Wärtsilä’s scrubbers will also enable Trasmed GLE’s vessels to operate at a lower 0.1% sulphur limit to meet both worldwide and ECA regulations.

The installations will take place in 2022 and marks the first time that Wärtsilä has conducted a RoPax scrubber retrofit in the region.

The partnership strengthens the long-standing relationship between Grimaldi and Wärtsilä to install scrubbers in many configurations across Grimaldi Group’s business units.

Sigurd Jenssen, Director at Wärtsilä Exhaust Treatment, said: “We are delighted to see Trasmed GLE S.L. joining the ranks of maritime leaders committed to meeting environmental regulations and reducing shipping’s impact on the planet. Not only does this announcement build on our long relationship with Grimaldi and the Group’s subsidiary companies, but it also confirms the wider trend we are seeing across the shipping industry that shipowners are investing in quality, flexible and lifecycle-based technologies for their vessels, either at the newbuild stage or as retrofits.”

Also commenting on the announcement, Ettore Morace, Managing Director at Trasmed GLE S.L. added: “all the Trasmed fleet will have the scrubbers installed before next summer 2022. This will be a huge effort from our technical department and confirms our full commitment to be a “environmentally friendly” shipping company”

MacGregor secures order from Rauma Marine Constructions for two ropax vessels

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Products & services Products & services; Published: 29 October 2021 29 October 2021

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured a new cargo access equipment order for two RoPax vessels to be built by Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) for Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company Pty Ltd).

The order was booked into Cargotec's second quarter 2021 order intake, with deliveries planned to commence during the third quarter of 2022 and completed during the first quarter of 2023.

The contract is a result of the long-standing relationship between MacGregor, RMC Finland and TT-Line, with scope of supply encompassing bow and stern access equipment, internal ramps, car decks, provision trailer lift and cover, shell doors and dedicated hydraulic/electric systems.

“We regard MacGregor as a professional, reliable and innovative solution provider that fully supports us throughout the lifecycle of our ships, including the design and build phase, annual inspections and service support,'' says Bernard Dwyer, Chief Executive Office, Spirit of Tasmania.

“Through our previous collaboration and knowledge of MacGregor’s extensive installed base and expertise, we are confident in the supply of high-quality RoPax vessel equipment that will fully meet both our and our customer’s needs,” says Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO, RMC Finland.

”We are delighted to further strengthen our long-standing relationship with RMC and TT-Line through supply of comprehensive cargo access equipment to the new RoPax vessels,” says Magnus Sjöberg, Senior Vice President, Merchant Solutions Division, MacGregor.