Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise.
Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels.
Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity and over 130 energy storage systems in 180 countries around the world. Over 30% of our operating installed base is under service agreements.
of power plant capacity installed.
energy storage installations delivered.
of operating installed base under service agreements.
With a deep understanding of the energy transition and power systems, we can help our customers find their optimal and most efficient path towards 100% renewable energy, while balancing and future-proofing their power systems as demanded by the flexible grids of the future.
Our offering consists of a wide range of flexible solutions that provide optimised and reliable energy. We enable the transition to renewable energy with flexible engine power plants and energy storage technology.
We support our customers over the lifecycle of their installations ensuring performance and competitiveness in a safe, reliable and sustainable way.
Supporting our customers globally is at the heart of Wärtsilä Energy's mission. We have established a robust geographical presence, with operations spanning over 70 countries worldwide.
Our strategic locations enable us to deliver innovative energy solutions tailored to the unique needs of each region. From Europe to Asia, Africa to the Americas, we are committed to driving the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future.
Tomorrow’s energy landscape is being reshaped by new technologies and regulation in unforeseen ways.
Decarbonising our industry is not something we can achieve overnight.
We believe that finding visionary partners with the most inspiring innovations is crucial in making it happen.
We are a global team of over 18,300 Wärtsilians in 77 countries across all seven continents.
We represent 128 different nationalities, and vary also in our fields of expertise; we have roles from underwater divers to cloud and machine learning developers and from assembly line workers to future fuel researchers, quality experts, and beyond.
While our skills and backgrounds are diverse, we are glued together by the impact we make and through our purpose: we enable sustainable societies through innovation in technology and services.
Technology group Wärtsilä is part of a new research project exploring innovative technology for cleaner, more energy-efficient engines utilising a closed loop combustion cycle. The research will focus on the use of argon – a non-toxic ideal gas present in the atmosphere – to increase efficiency of balancing engines. The co-innovation project is run by the Integrated Hydrogen-Argon Power Cycle (iHAPC) consortium, led by the University of Vaasa, in partnership with Business Finland and a wide network of partners.
In an internal combustion engine, the energy supplied by combusting fuel is directly converted into mechanical power by the controlled combustion of the fuel in an enclosed space. In the Argon Power Cycle, air, which is normally used to combust the fuel in an internal combustion engine, is now replaced by argon and oxygen. The research focuses on scaling up the Argon Power Cycle to medium speed engines with full argon recovery. Argon enables a considerably higher thermodynamic efficiency due to its properties.
When using hydrogen, oxygen and argon as input the only product from the process is water and the inert argon. Argon is recycled from exhaust to inlet forming a closed loop combustion cycle. Hydrogen and oxygen, the only inputs in the integrated Hydrogen Argon Power Cycle, are both products of electrolysis, which increases the overall efficiency of the power-to-hydrogen-to-power process.
Rasmus Teir, Director of Sustainability & Future Plant Concepts at Wärtsilä Energy says: "We have the technologies needed to deliver a 100% renewable energy future. And our ambition must be to continuously innovate solutions that further improve affordability and sustainability. The argon power cycle is an innovative technology that has the potential to impact these factors positively.”
Balancing engines are a vital component of the transition to renewable energy systems, providing essential power to balance intermittent wind and solar power and ensure grid stability. The most efficient engines run on gas today but are ready to be converted to sustainable fuels such as hydrogen when they are available at scale. With sustainable fuel production forecast to reach 38 million tonnes by 2030 (a third more than current demand) this transition is expected to be possible within the next decade.
The three-year project is part of the WISE (Wide and Intelligent Sustainable Energy) programme, led by Wärtsilä and funded by Business Finland, the official government agency for trade, investment promotion and innovation funding. The partners of the iHAPC project are University of Vaasa, University of Oulu, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Finland Oy, Vahterus Oy, Vaisala Oyj and TotalEnergies.
Professor Maciej Mikulski from the University of Vaasa, the responsible leader of the iHAPC project, says: “The argon power cycle enables full valorisation of green hydrogen with unparalleled power generation efficiency. I see this as a potential breakthrough for the energy sector. The University of Vaasa plays a crucial role in advancing such innovative energy solutions with a strong focus on sustainability. With our expertise in fuel analytics, modelling and simulation, powertrain testing, and control development, we are well-equipped and excited to lead this project.”
Media contact for more information on this release:
Katri Pehkonen
Communications Manager
Wärtsilä Energy
Mob: +358 50 591 6180
katri.pehkonen@wartsila.com
Image caption: Wärtsilä is part of a new research project exploring innovative technology for cleaner, more energy-efficient engines utilising a closed loop combustion cycle. © Wärtsilä
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Wärtsilä Energy in brief
Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our partners to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system modelling expertise. These cover decarbonisation services, future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage and optimisation technology, including the GEMS Digital Energy Platform. Wärtsilä Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to increase efficiency, promote reliability and guarantee operational performance. Our track record comprises 79 GW of power plant capacity and 115 energy storage systems delivered to 180 countries around the world.
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Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,800 professionals in more than 280 locations in 79 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2023, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.0 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
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