Wärtsilä has announced it is to join Project Forward, a concept developed in May 2015 to facilitate liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion on future dry bulk carriers.
The project, which is led by Athens-based Arista Shipping and involves Deltamarin, ABS, and French LNG membrane containment system designer, GTT, was set up to develop commercially feasible LNG to enable dry bulk carriers to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index 2025 standards and other regulations relating to emissions.
Wärtsilä’s role in the project will involve it providing its 31DF dual-fuel engine to form the basis of the concept’s propulsion system, which has been recognised by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. The engine enables either conventional or LNG fuel to be used and is International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier III compliant without the need for additional exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS) or scrubbers.
The new generation medium speed engine is highly fuel efficient and comes in a modular configuration to reduce parts and maintenance time and costs while improving power availability.
Arista Shipping Principal, Alexander P. Panagopulos commented: “Project Forward aims to become a milestone for the shipping industry and in particular for owners and operators of cargo ships. Owners must decide within the next 5-10 years whether gas as fuel is a practical means of compliance with lower emissions standards and this project will enable all of us to understand its feasibility. We welcome Wärtsilä’s involvement, as it is a company with great experience in this field.”
The project is to be presented at the Posidonia 2016 conference and exhibition held June 6-10, 2016 in Athens, Greece.
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