Wärtsilä power for diesel-electric tanker

Wärtsilä Corporation has received a contract to supply main diesel generating sets for a 19,500DWT product/chemical tanker being built at Shanghai Edward Shipbuilding in China. Delivery of the ship is scheduled in August 2005.

Ordered by the Swedish shipowner Rederi AB Donsötank, the newbuilding is a double-acting tanker (DAT) which is optimised for efficient ice-breaking when going astern and for efficient sailing in open water when going ahead. Propulsion is by a single electrically-driven azimuthing propeller drive.

The 9.3 MW diesel-electric plant is powered by four generating sets; three sets with Wärtsilä 6L32 diesel engines, each with a maximum continuous output of 2,880 kW at 750 rpm, and the fourth set with a Wärtsilä 4L20 diesel engine of 685 kW output at 1,000 rpm. The engines are scheduled for delivery from the Wärtsilä Vaasa factory in November 2004.

The three Wärtsilä 6L32 engines will be equipped with common-rail fuel injection. The shipowner has adopted common-rail injection because of it enables the engines not to emit visible smoke under any operating conditions.