Dual-fuel engines for Japanese carriers

The order is for 20 nine-cylinder, 25 six-cylinder and 16 eight-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines.

“We at Wärtsilä have always been at the forefront in making it possible, through our technologies, for LNG to become a viable marine fuel,” said Lars Anderson, Vice President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

“This experience, our unmatched track record in gas propulsion applications, and our well proven dual-fuel solutions are why these contracts were awarded to Wärtsila.”

A total of 61 engines will be primarily running on LNG and these are said to be the first Wärtsilä 50DF engines delivered for Japan’s LNG carrier market.

When operating in gas mode, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are at least 85% below those specified in the current IMO regulations, and CO² emissions are some 25% less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel.

The 16 vessels have a gas cargo capacity of between 155,000 and 180,000m³. They will be employed mainly in delivering shale gas from the USA to Japan.

The contracts were placed between the second half of 2014 and December 2015.