Merchant Vessels

The combination of Wärtsilä’s proven dual-fuel engine technology and electric propulsion systems together with the new LNG Carrier design portfolio and gas handling systems enables Wärtsilä to offer solutions for LNG Carriers that offers significant benefits over alternative concepts.

• Design and main equipment delivered by the same company improves quality, efficiency, communication, flexibility and integration.
• Collective knowledge of the wider Wärtsilä group and affiliates, to overcome technical challenges
• Access to extensive data and information on all main equipment as well as research and development
• Integrated environmental solution and energy saving devices
• Single project management contact with local execution capabilities
• Responsibility centralized on a single supplier for equipment and design

Tankers currently represent 27% of the world’s merchant fleet larger than 2000 grt. They carry a variety of liquid cargoes in bulk, such as crude oil, products and chemicals.

In most cases, the voyages are long, and fuel consumption is usually a main focus area for the operator. Wärtsilä takes pride in supporting its customers’ in the tanker market with economically sound solutions.

Today, bulk carriers make up 21% of the world’s merchant fleet.

Ship owners, operators and yards are able to benefit from low running costs, reliability and easy installation with solutions provided by Wärtsilä, and from the support provided throughout the entire life cycle of the equipment.

Container vessels form 13–14% of the world’s merchant fleet and are a vital element within the transportation infrastructure supporting the global economy. Reliability is, therefore, essential.

Wärtsilä serves its container vessel customers with integrated solutions that offer significant cost savings. High energy efficiency has the greatest impact on operating costs and is delivered by solutions from Wärtsilä which combine ship design, an engine with low fuel consumption, high-efficiency waste heat recovery (WHR) system, and optimum propeller and rudder designs. 

Wärtsilä offers designs for container vessels in many different size classes.

Delta Tuning
In case the operational profile of the vessel changes with a new charter contract and allows a lower speed, Wärtsilä can propose an easily reversible solution to save fuel by adopting the Delta Tuning for the RT-flex engines.
By allowing injection pressures and timing to be optimised at all loads, Wärtsilä RT-flex engines have lower fuel consumption at part loads compared with conventional camshaft-type engines. Advantage has been taken of the complete flexibility in fuel injection and valve operation allowed by RT-flex common-rail technology to offer, through Delta Tuning, even lower specific fuel consumption when running at less than 90% engine load.

Low-Load Tuning
The most effective way to achieve fuel savings is to reduce the ship speed. When this is planned to be adopted for a long time, Wärtsilä can propose the Low-Load Tuning package which allows RT-flex engines to be tuned for the best fuel efficiency at partial load. This can also be retrofitted on existing vessels.
Reduced part-load fuel consumption is offered by Low-Load Tuning through a package of measures for RT-flex low-speed engines:

• Part-load optimised turbochargers
• Increased combustion pressure at less than 75% MCR
• Late exhaust valve closing to reduce NOX emissions
• Exhaust waste gate opening at 85% MCR

Cargo vessels represent 25–30% of the world’s merchant fleet. The latest general cargo vessels tend to be for specialised applications, such as multipurpose carrier (MPP).

Whatever the vessel’s operating profile, Wärtsilä offers customized solutions that meet the specific needs of ship owners and operators. Wärtsilä innovative approach and broad product portfolio enable fit-for-purpose cargo vessels to have the flexibility needed to achieve clear environmental and economic benefits.

The ability of Wärtsilä to combine products into a single solution package that combines ship design, engines, gearboxes, automation, electrical systems, propulsion, seals & bearings, environmental solutions and more, provides guaranteed performance of the complete installation, uniform documentation, a single point of contact, and an efficient propulsion plant in which all parts are engineered to work in harmony.

Ro-Ro vessels are designed to transport wheel-based cargo or cargo loaded on wheel-based equipment. Frequent port calls mean that emissions must be minimized, while the efficient loading and unloading of the ship is a primary requirement.

Ro-Ro vessels typically operate on short trades with frequent port calls. Their operating profile shows that some 36% of these vessels spend more than 80% of their time in ECA (Emission Control Area). To help meet environmental legislation, Wärtsilä offers a wide range of environmental solutions that gives our customers the ability to operate wherever whenever.

PCTC (Pure car/truck carrier) vessels are purpose built for the transportation of different types of rolling cargo. The essential requirement is that the machinery installation occupies the minimum space to maximize cargo space and facilitate cargo handling.