Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to supply 61 dual-fuel engines for 16 new gas carrier ships being built for Japanese owners.
The dual-fuel engines, capable of running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional fuel oils will enable the reduction of pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 85% and CO2emissions by 25%, while particulate matter (PM) and sulphur oxides (SOx) will be reduced to almost zero.
The order includes 20 nine-cylinder, 25 six-cylinder and 16 eight-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines that will primarily run on LNG, representing Japan’s expansion into the gas fuelled merchant fleet.
The 16 ships have a gas cargo capacity of between 155,000 and 180,000m3 and will be deployed mainly in delivering shale gas from the USA to Japan.
Lars Anderson, Vice President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions commented: “We are honoured and pleased to be making this contribution to Japan’s ongoing shift into shipping’s gas age.”
The contracts were all placed between the second half of 2014 and December 2015, with the first delivery at the end of 2015. These engines will be the first Wärtsilä 50DF engines delivered for the Japanese LNG carrier market.
