Wartsilä: new ship technology for fuel conversion
Technology group Wärtsilä is launching its two-stroke marine engines to future fuels with zero or low carbon emissions on the market in Q1/2022. MSC's fleet management division was a partner in this project.
According to Wärtsilä, the new technology is "an important step in the maritime transport industry's efforts to decarbonise the sector". It will also provide flexibility to shipowners when investing in new units and allow adaptations in a short time avoiding having to keep ships out of service for a long periods.
Initially, this engine adaptation system will allow the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), with negligible methane slip from the engine. However, the modular design of this engine lays the foundation for future developments that will enable the adoption of alternative green fuels, or fuel blends, when commercially available.
According to Prabhat Jha, Managing Director of MSC Shipmanagement: "We have followed the development of this engine retrofit system with great interest and see it as a benchmark in MSC's journey towards net zero emission decarbonisation by 2050." The first commercial conversion project will be completed in mid-2023. (sh)