By upgrading the control software, vessels powered by a Wärtsilä 34DF engine can reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially at low engine loads. The control software upgrade is ideal for vessels like dredgers, ferries and offshore support ships that operate at constant speeds in environmentally sensitive areas such as coastal or inland waters.
With maritime emissions regulations rapidly evolving, vessel owners and operators need cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their fleets. Wärtsilä is continuously developing new emissions-reduction technologies that can also be applied to existing engines, helping to ensure regulatory compliance while maintaining profitability and improving vessel performance.
The Wärtsilä 34DF is a popular choice across a wide range of maritime applications. Its dual-fuel capability enables vessels to switch seamlessly between conventional liquid fuels and LNG without impacting power or speed. A control software upgrade is available for Wärtsilä 34DF engine variants, and it can cut GHG emissions by as much as 20% depending on the engine load.
The control software upgrade is ideal for vessels that operate at constant speeds in environmentally sensitive areas such as coastal or inland waters, including:
The upgrade is based on Wärtsilä’s adaptive combustion phasing control technology, which works by marginally reducing the engine’s charge air pressure and lambda – the air-fuel ratio in the combustion chamber.
The marginal reduction in charge air pressure and lambda lowers unburned hydrocarbon emissions, including methane slip – a significant source of GHG emissions from LNG-powered vessels.
In practical terms, the improved combustion control optimises engine behaviour in real time according to both ambient conditions and operating conditions. The lower the engine load, the greater the reduction in GHG emissions. At low engine loads of 20% or lower, methane emissions can be cut by as much as 60%.
The software upgrade has been certified by Engine International Air Pollution Prevention (EIAPP) and approved by the major classification societies. Wärtsilä can also provide optional emissions measurements before and after the upgrade to demonstrate the achieved reductions. Before you commit to the upgrade, Wärtsilä can use data about your vessel’s engine load and operational profile to create an accurate forecast of how much GHG emissions and fuel consumption will be reduced.
Implementing the upgrade involves a Wärtsilä technician coming onboard the vessel for a day or two to install the new software module. The engine is taken offline only while the upgrade is being installed, after which the technician remains onboard to monitor the engine’s performance at different loads.
Although the solution is straightforward, requiring just a field service technician and their laptop, its simplicity hides a more complex story. Behind this upgrade, there are many years of software development, lab testing and field validation, so customers operating the Wärtsilä 34DF can rest assured that the benefits promised will be delivered. Every upgrade package is configured by technical experts based on your vessel’s engine type and operational profile.
If you want to reduce emissions even further, you can implement Wärtsilä’s EnviroPac solution. EnviroPac combines an engine software upgrade and improved selective catalytic reduction (SCR) elements that are resistant to higher heat levels. EnviroPac helps engines comply with IMO Tier 3 NOx limits by reducing methane emissions without compromising power output.
Learn more about how you can reduce methane emissions with EnviroPac.
Increasingly, charterers are placing emissions performance at the top of their agendas when selecting operators. This makes the Wärtsilä 34DF control system upgrade as much an investment in reputation and compliance as it is in securing long-term vessel and business performance.
Inspired by how the Wärtsilä 34DF control software upgrade can cut your emissions? Then dig deeper with this go-to guide to 51 great ways the maritime industry could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
This article was first published in August 2021. It was reviewed and updated in August 2025.
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