Wärtsilä to power worlds first dual-fuelled dredger

Apparently, this will be the first ever dredger to operate on engines capable of utilising either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional marine fuels.

Lars Anderson, vice president, engine sales, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions, said: “Wärtsilä’s unmatched experience and extensive reference list in dual-fuel engine applications, plus our complete solutions portfolio, were key considerations in the award of this contract.”

The 104m long vessel will have a hopper volume capacity of approximately 8,000 cubic metres. The scope of supply includes one 12-cylinder and one 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF engines, two Wärtsilä controllable pitch propellers and two transverse thrusters as well as the company’s patented LNGPac gas supply and storage system.

“Scheldt River will easily comply with all local and international environmental regulations. Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel know-how and in particular the 34DF engine series made our concept feasible,” said Jan Gabriël, head of new building and conversion department, DEME.

This is the second notable order received by Wärtsilä in recent weeks for dredger related propulsion solutions. In June, the company was contracted to supply a comprehensive intergrated solutions package for one of the world’s largest and most advanced self-propelled cutter dredgers currently under construction in China.