Wärtsilä and Turboden sign agreement to launch Wärtsilä Marine ECC

Wärtsilä Corporation, Trade press release 9 September 2010 at 14:00 UTC+2

Industry leaders announce the introduction of Organic Rankine Cycle technology to the marine market with its Wärtsilä Marine ECC product. This innovation obtains improved energy efficiency and lower fuel consumption, thereby reducing both operating costs and exhaust emissions.

Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading solution provider, has signed an exclusive agreement with Turboden of Italy to jointly develop, market, and distribute the Wärtsilä Marine Engine Combined Cycle (ECC) product. Marine ECC is to be based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology. The two companies will gain synergistic benefits from the combined strength of Wärtsilä’s global presence in the marine market, and from Turboden’s leadership and experience in developing ORC technology. Turboden is a Pratt & Whitney Power Systems company. The joint development work will initially focus on applying the ORC technology for ship applications, and the Wärtsilä Marine ECC product is expected to enter the market during 2011.

The Wärtsilä Marine ECC provides a means of obtaining an efficient and reliable small-scale combined cycle system from the otherwise wasted energy recovered from downstream exhaust gas, and/or from the high-temperature cooling water of reciprocating engines. This could provide added power in the range of 8 to 12 per cent to the prime mover. Typical sizes range from hundreds to several thousand kWe. With the Marine ECC in operation, fuel oil consumption is significantly lowered, which in turn provides the operator with reduced operating expenses. At the same time, and as a direct result, exhaust gas emissions are lowered and this too aids the operator in meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations.

“Because of high fuel prices and the need to reduce emissions, improving energy efficiency is today a matter of great importance to our customers. The Marine ECC  will benefit both the customer and the environment, and is, therefore, completely in line with Wärtsilä’s strategy,” says Juha Kytölä, Vice President, Product Centre Ecotech, Wärtsilä.

The Rankine Cycle

The Rankine Cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that converts heat into work energy. Water is the most commonly used working fluid in Rankine Cycle systems, which generate the majority of the electricity used throughout the world. The ORC, on the other hand, can operate using various organic fluids to utilize the waste heat from exhaust gas, and from lower grade heat sources such as high-temperature cooling water.

While the ORC is already a well-established form of energy production with an increasing application base, it is new to the marine market. The ORC technology provides many advantages, including high thermodynamic cycle efficiency, the ability to operate at lower heat source temperatures, simple start up procedures, automatic and continuous operation without operator intervention, simple maintenance procedures, and long lifecycles.

“Following the very positive results that Turboden is now achieving with heat recovery systems for Stationary internal combustion engines, we are now excited to be working with Wärtsilä to develop an ORC solution specifically applicable to the marine market,” says Paolo Bertuzzi, General Manager, Finance & Commercial Area, Turboden s.r.l.

Wärtsilä is exhibiting at the SMM exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, 7-10 September on stand number 223, hall A4!!

Wärtsilä Marine ECC
Caption: The Wärtsilä Marine ECC will improve energy efficiency and lower fuel consumption, thereby reducing both operating costs and exhaust emissions.

Media contacts:

Mr Juha Kytölä
Vice President, Product Centre Ecotech
Wärtsilä Finland
Tel:  +358 40 500 2936
e-mail:  juha.kytola@wartsila.com

Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Senior Manager, PR and Marketing Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Tel: +358 10 709 1439
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com

Alessandra Costa
Communication & Marketing Manager
Turboden
Mob.  +39 345.3102649
Tel.  +39 030.3552001
e-mail: alessandra.costa@turboden.it

Daniele Comboni / Mattia Zanetti
Now!PR
Mob.  +39 348.2660714 / 335.7576144
Tel.  +39 02.881290.1
e-mails: danielec@nowpr.it / mattiaz@nowpr.it

 

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 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 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

Turboden in brief:
Turboden, a Pratt & Whitney Power Systems company, is an Italian company and a global leader in the design, manufacture, and servicing of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbogenerators, which harness heat to generate electrical power from renewable sources, including solar energy, biomass, geothermal energy and waste heat.  Turboden has more than 115 plants installed worldwide and offers standard turbogenerators from 400 kWel to 4 MWel (standard units) and up to 10 MWel (customized units).   Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. company (NYSE:UTX), is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines and space propulsion systems. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.
www.turboden.it