Wärtsilä expands potential for methanol newbuilds and retrofits

The 240-metre ferry Stena Germanica, with a capacity for 1,500 passengers and 300 cars, was retrofitted with a first-of-its-kind Wärtsilä 4-stroke engine that can run on methanol or traditional marine fuels back in 2015. Since then, given the modularity of modern Wärtsilä engines, many can now be upgraded for methanol use, including the Wärtsilä 32 engine, the Wärtsilä 46F diesel engine and Wärtsilä ZA40S 4-stroke engine.

Earlier this year, Wärtsilä announced that it will supply methanol-ready engines for Celebrity Cruises’ new ship, the fifth vessel in the cruise company’s Edge Series. Giulio Tirelli, Director Business Development at Marine Power, Wärtsilä, says: “To enable this advance, we will convert two Wärtsilä 46F engines to allow them to utilise methanol as fuel, marking the first-ever such conversion for this particular engine type. Not only does the conversion project promote lower carbon cruising, adding methanol as a fuel option will ensure that emissions of SOx, NOx and particulate matter will be significantly reduced.”

Wärtsilä will also supply Wärtsilä 25 engines for four new 7,999dwt chemical tankers being built for Swedish fleet owner Erik Thun. The Wärtsilä 25 is the latest future-fuels ready addition to the company’s engine portfolio, and key to the order was the shipowner’s ability to have the option to operate on future fuels.

Wärtsilä announced last year that a new offshore wind installation vessel being built for Dutch contracting company Van Oord at Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard in China will be powered by five Wärtsilä 32 engine capable of operating with methanol. This was Wärtsilä’s first order for newbuild methanol-fuelled engines. The Wärtsilä 32 is applicable either as a main engine or auxiliary generator on a wide range of vessel types from offshore support vessels to deep-sea merchant ships.

“Our Wärtsilä 32 engine has been designed to operate reliably in a wide range of vessel applications, whether that’s running on methanol and/or fuel oils,” says Tirelli. “This makes it a strong asset for different vessels, such as special vessels, merchants and ferries, to name just a few examples. What’s more, as methanol infrastructure can vary significantly – especially depending on the region – and will constantly evolve, our Wärtsilä 32 engine is a leading candidate due to its fuel flexibility.”

The Wärtsilä 32 methanol engine does not require any technical conversion when starting to run on methanol. “However, it is important that there is a methanol supply system in place along with the adequate safety measures taken in the engine room and tank space. That’s why, last year, we announced that Wärtsilä has developed a dedicated fuel supply system for methanol, MethanolPac.”

MethanolPac includes both the low- and high-pressure parts of the fuel supply system as well as the related control and safety functions. This includes the high-pressure methanol fuel pump unit, low-pressure pump module, fuel valve train, bunkering stations and tank instrumentation.

MethanolPac will gain its first reference alongside the debut installation of the Wärtsilä 32 methanol engine, on the wind turbine installation vessel under construction for Van Oord.

“Methanol fuel injection can also be retrofitted to any of the more than 5,000 conventionally fuelled Wärtsilä 32 engines in operation. MethanolPac means that such retrofits can be dramatically simplified, with one supplier providing both engine and fuel supply system,” says Tirelli.

When considering converting an existing vessel to run on methanol, there are many factors to take into account, Tirelli says. “First and foremost, you would either need a methanol engine conversion or to replace existing engines with methanol-capable engines. What’s more, converting an existing vessel to operate on methanol mainly depends on the space required by the tanks and additional equipment needed such as certain auxiliary, safety, and control systems which would all need to be fitted onboard too.”

Wärtsilä’s methanol conversion service is a holistic solution to convert existing vessels to use methanol as a fuel. The full project can be delivered from feasibility studies to execution planning and implementation. “At Wärtsilä, we support customers with the initial decision-making by providing an overall concept of vessel conversion, as well as a calculation of their emissions levels after conversion and an engineering design for vessel integration.”