Wärtsilä to supply liquid bio-fuel powered main engines for new Finnish cargo vessel

Wärtsilä’s leading engine technology offers flexibility which enables switching of fuels without any interruption in operation should the need arise. This will be the first installation ever where a European commercial shipping operation is going to permanently use liquid bio-fuel.

Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solutions provider and systems integrator, has been contracted by the STX Finland shipyard in Turku, Finland, to supply the main engines for a new multi-purpose cargo vessel. STX Finland is part of the international STX Europe Group. The ship is being built for Meriaura Ltd., a Finland-based provider of sea transport services for industrial products and general cargo.

The vessel will be powered by three Wärtsilä 6L20 main generating sets, capable of operating on various types of liquid bio-fuels (LBF) fulfilling Wärtsilä’s liquid bio fuel specification. Liquid bio-fuels can be produced from various raw materials of vegetable and non-vegetable origin. The generating sets are also capable of using marine diesel oil as a backup fuel.

The onboard fuel system is prepared for regular operation with LBF, and the sea acceptance trials for the owner are to be conducted using liquid bio-fuel. The new vessel, the ‘Aura II’, is a deck carrier scheduled to be delivered in spring 2012.

This will be the first installation ever where a European commercial shipping operation is going to permanently use LBF as fuel. However, the Wärtsilä generating sets have the flexibility to be able to switch to marine diesel oil should the need arise. The liquid bio-fuel is produced at the ship owner’s process refinery in Uusikaupunki, on the south-west coast of Finland.

“This contract clearly demonstrates Wärtsilä’s ability to supply environmentally sustainable power solutions without substantial impact on costs to operators and investors. Our technology leadership in engines with diversified and flexible fuel supply options, and our ability to install a compact central diesel electric power plant in an engine room with confined space, were major factors in the award of this contract,” says Jukka Paananen, Business Manager, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

The ‘Aura II’ will be a multi-purpose dry cargo ship that can also be used for oil recovery operations in the Baltic Sea. In addition, the ship is designed for the transport of heavy modules to the offshore industry in the North Sea basin. When not operating as a deck carrier, the 4,350 dwt ship is designed also as a container carrier.

Advanced training on the Wärtsilä engines will be provided to the operator crews at the Wärtsilä Land & Sea Academy training centre in Turku, Finland. Wärtsilä already maintains and services the flagship vessel of Meriaura, the m/s ‘Aura’, under a maintenance contract agreement.

Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.

In 2010, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with more than 17,500 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com