Wärtsilä Corporation is enhancing the fuel flexibility of its Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engine by offering the possibility to use heavy fuel oil (HFO) in the ‘diesel mode’. This development offers LNG carriers operators full flexibility in selecting the fuel that leads to the lowest possible operating costs in today’s and tomorrow’s market and will make the dual-fuel-electric machinery concept for LNG carriers more attractive to a wider range of potential customers.
The enhanced fuel flexibility will be available on Wärtsilä 50DF engines that will enter production after August 1, 2005. Until now, Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines have had the ability to run either on gas with a small quantity of marine diesel oil (MDO) pilot fuel in ‘gas mode’, or on MDO alone in ‘diesel mode’.
Earlier this year, Wärtsilä introduced double-wall gas piping on the Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engine to simplify the engine room installation and reduce costs.
The dual-fuel-electric machinery concept for LNG carriers, applying multiple dual-fuel engines in combination with an electric propulsion system, is one of the most promising candidates for breaking the dominance of steam turbine installations in LNG shipping. So far, dual-fuel engines for two dual-fuel-electric LNG carriers have been ordered by Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The first ship is the 74,000 m3 dual-fuel-electric LNG carrier Gaz de France Energy which will leave the shipyard by the end of this year and enter service for Gaz de France. One year later, the 154,000 m3 dual-fuel-electric LNG carrier Provalys is scheduled to start trading also for Gaz de France. Further dual-fuel engine orders for dual-fuel-electric LNG carriers are imminent.
In addition to the mentioned applications in LNG carriers, Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines have been installed on board two FPSOs. Furthermore, the offshore supply vessels Viking Energy and Stril Pioner are equipped with dual-fuel-electric machinery installations and use LNG as fuel. Furthermore 23 dual-fuel engines are in service or on order in land-based power plants.
Marit Holmlund-Sund
Public Relations Manager, Ship Power
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel: +358 10 709 1439
Direct fax: +358 10 709 1425
e-mail: marit.holmlund-sund@wartsila.com
Internet: www.wartsila.com
