Wärtsilä Corporation has recently been awarded contracts to supply RT-flex50 common-rail low-speed engines, propellers and Auxpac generating sets to Goodearth Maritime Ltd of Chennai, India, for six 53,000 tdw handymax bulk carriers.
For each ship, Wärtsilä will deliver a six-cylinder RT-flex50 common-rail low-speed engine with a maximum continuous power of 9720 kW at 124 rpm, together with a Wärtsilä fixed-pitch propeller and three 645 kWe Wärtsilä Auxpac generating sets.
The ships have been contracted by Goodearth Maritime at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in Visakhapatnam, India, for delivery in the summer 2007 onwards. They are of the Diamond 53 design of the Cardiff-based Graig Group. In addition to the vessel design, Graig is providing Goodearth Maritime with yard supervision, assistance with equipment procurement and yard consultancy services.
These are the first Diamond 53 ships to be equipped with RT-flex50 common-rail engines. The Diamond 53 is a double-hulled, geared highly-flexible handymax bulk carrier designed as a robust workhorse. These orders bring the number of Diamond 53 ships ordered in China, Vietnam and now India to 35.
Goodearth Maritime Ltd is the shipping arm of the Archean Group which is involved in the export of mainly bulk stone, salt and mineral cargoes. Goodearth Maritime operates five bulk carriers of 35,000 to 75,000 tdw capacity and four 30,000 tdw double-hull bulk carriers. The six handymax newbuildings are part of a major expansion programme.
The RT-flex50 is the latest addition to Wärtsilä’s series of RT-flex electronically-controlled common-rail engines for ship propulsion. With powers between 5800 and 13,280 kW, the RT-flex50 is ideally suited to the propulsion of bulk carriers in handymax to panamax sizes, product tankers and feeder container vessels. The first two RT-flex50 engines successfully completed their official shop tests in July and August 2005. With the six engines for Goodearth Maritime, orders for a total of 33 RT-flex50 engines have been received.
Media contact:
Marit Holmlund-Sund
Public Relations Manager
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
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