How fast and reliable support got CLSICO’s LNG carrier quickly back into service

• Challenge: Quickly solve an unexpected engine issue.
• Solution: Wärtsilä 24/7 remote support and field services, including prioritised access to spare parts.
• Benefit: The vessel was back in service extremely quickly.

China LNG Shipping (International) Co. Ltd. (CLSICO) relies on its vessel, the Dapeng Princess, to deliver LNG on tight schedules. When one of the three generator engines unexpectedly failed, CLSICO needed immediate support to resolve the issue quickly. 

The challenge: an engine failure at sea

The Dapeng Princess is the world’s largest shallow draft LNG carrier. Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engines power its three generators. During a ballast passage between LNG ports, a problem occurred with a turbocharger, and one of the generator engines stopped working. CLSICO contacted Wärtsilä’s 24/7 remote support for technical assistance.

The solution: fast and efficient troubleshooting from Wärtsilä

When CLSICO called, a Wärtsilä expert immediately investigated the case and provided suggestions based on real-time vessel data to help them understand and resolve the problem. Wärtsilä quickly made the decision together with the customer to replace the turbocharger and related parts.

The benefit: priority repair and minimal downtime

Wärtsilä field services handled the repair, and the warranty team ensured that there were no additional costs for the customer. The problem on the Dapeng Princess was fixed in nine days, including the weekend.

The issue was resolved so quickly because CLSICO has a Technical Management Agreement with Wärtsilä for the Dapeng Princess. The agreement includes:

• constant data monitoring and maintenance support for the engines and gas valve units
• Wärtsilä’s Dynamic Maintenance Planning solution, which maximises the time between overhauls and provides scheduling flexibility
• Wärtsilä Expert Insight service, which uses AI and rule-based diagnostics with expert analysis to monitor real-time vessel data

CLSICO’s agreement with Wärtsilä gives them priority access to Wärtsilä services 24 hours a day, seven days a week – which helped ensure that this problem was solved quickly. Thanks to the speedy problem resolution, the engine issue did not cause any off-hire for the Dapeng Princess, and CLISCO could meet all of its contractual obligations. 

Read more in the press release: Wärtsilä Technical Management Agreement provides maintenance flexibility for China LNG Shipping vessel (7 Sep, 2023)

Image author: © CLSICO