Wärtsilä DF engines for Russian LNG carriers
The Wärtsilä machinery is capable of operating on LNG, heavy fuel oil (HFO) or low viscosity marine diesel oil (MDO), but LNG will be the main type of fuel used for these new carriers, which are being built for use in arctic conditions to serve the Yamal LNG project in Northern Russia.
“The fitting of Wärtsilä 50DF engines onboard the first LNG carriers in 2006 set a trend in the industry and since that introduction, 65% of all new LNG carriers have been fitted with Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines,” said Lars Anderson, vice president, Wärtsilä Ship Power.
“The strong success of this particular engine over the alternatives is based on its superior propulsion efficiency and the clear environmental advantages that operating on gas allows,” he added.
When operating in arctic waters the engines will be operating in ambient temperatures of up to minus 50 degrees Celsius on LNG carriers breaking through ice more than two metres thick, in operating modes that Wärtsilä says allow dramatic variations in engine load within a limited period of time.
For each LNG carrier, Wärtsilä will supply 12-cylinder and 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines. The total power output from the engines will be 64,350 kW per vessel.
The LNG carriers will be owned by one joint venture between Canada’s Teekay LNG Partners and China LNG Shipping (CLNG) and another joint venture between China Shipping LNG Investment Co Ltd (CSLNG) and Japan’s Mitsui OSK.
