Improving efficiency
Energy efficiency has always been a priority for Wärtsilä, and remarkable gains in the efficiency of our products and solutions have been achieved over the years.
Total ship efficiency
An efficient and low emission system for the entire vessel is achieved by combining optimised ship design with Wärtsilä's knowledge of automation, machinery, propulsion, and control systems. By tailoring the machinery concept to match the operating profile, fuel consumption can be notably reduced. Our support also includes retrofit projects that reduce costs and risks, minimise downtime, and improve efficiencies, extending the lifecycle of the installation.
Wärtsilä has developed numerous efficiency concepts, such as Low Loss Concept (LLC) and Low Loss Hybrid (LLH). Wärtsilä’s digital solutions enable its customers to maximize efficiency through insights for operations optimization and asset management, and to cut emissions.
Propeller efficiency upgrades
Propulsion products incorporate environmental features and are critical for the overall environmental impact of the vessel. The new generation propulsion units and energy saving solutions such as EnergoFlow result in significant fuel efficiency improvements (5-12%) that also result in fewer emissions. Wärtsilä EnergoFlow is an innovative and cost-effective pre-swirl stator that increases fuel efficiency by up to 10%, while also reducing NOx and CO2 emissions
Engine efficiency improvements
A long-term focus on improving engine efficiency has resulted in Wärtsilä engines having the highest efficiency ratings among existing prime movers. A key success factor has been the development of integrated engine functionalities that enable low emissions and high engine efficiency. The Wärtsilä 31 engine has the best 4-stroke engine fuel economy in the world.
The efficiency of Wärtsilä diesel and gas engines ranges between 42-50%, depending on the engine type. A significant achievement related to sustainable innovation includes the introduction of Wärtsilä 31SG, a gas-fuelled version of the Wärtsilä 31. The defining feature of the Wärtsilä 31SG is its ability to achieve simple-cycle efficiency levels in excess of 50%, which enables reduced emissions and offers the potential for considerable cost savings to power producers. Another benefit is the provision of increased flexibility, which enables a rapid response to continuously changing load patterns, especially in systems with a notable share of solar and wind energy.
Energy intelligence and power plant upgrades
Wärtsilä's Smart Power Generation power plants run on any gaseous or liquid fuels, including biofuels. They provide industry-leading energy efficiency, fuel and operational flexibility, helping to integrate wind and solar power into the grid.
Wärtsilä also offers many ways of improving the energy efficiency of an existing power plant – from the upgrade of a single component to a complete lifecycle solution, including asset performance guarantees and jointly agreed KPIs for measuring success. In today’s power generation, the use of renewables as a method of increasing energy efficiency is also increasing.
Wärtsilä's broad range of solutions for improving the energy efficiency of a power plant are:
• Guaranteed asset performance - a lifecycle solution with performance guarantees
• Power plant lifecycle upgrade
• Power plant gas conversions
• Power plant combined cycle upgrade – Wärtsilä FlexicycleTM solution
• Engine and turbocharger upgrades