Solutions for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

Gas and multi-fuel engines
Wärtsilä is continuously developing its portfolio of gas and multi-fuel engines to offer high efficiency, low exhaust gas emissions and safe operation. The fuel flexibility of Wärtsilä's gas engine technology facilitates efforts by both the marine and power sectors to move towards zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Our target is to further reduce the GHG emissions of our gas engines by 15% from 2015 to 2020. The long-term investments in R&D and the strive for more environmental sound solutions have resulted in materialisation of many benefits and success especially at low load where the methane slip has reduced by as much as 75%.

Upgrades and retrofits
Wärtsilä applies new technologies also to its existing products, which makes it possible to further reduce their environmental impact. Customized lifecycle upgrades can considerably increase energy efficiency, improving the installation’s performance. A boost in energy efficiency also decreases emissions. For example, our engines can be easily adapted to using gas as a primary fuel, helping to cut operational costs and exhaust gas emissions while increasing fuel flexibility. Retrofitting a vessel to run on LNG reduces CO2 and NOx emissions while eliminating SOx emissions when compared to vessels that run on HFO. For power plants, the conversion concept follows the same principles as those of a new Wärtsilä gas power plant built to the latest design and engineering standards.

Environmentally advanced vessel designs
Wärtsilä Ship Design offers innovative designs with a cost efficiency focus that are environmentally compliant with known and future rules and regulations. We focus on cost and fuel efficiency, higher energy efficiency, optimized ship building, lower operating costs, and enhanced environmental performance throughout the entire process of new build or retrofit projects. For example, Wärtsilä has launched a complete concept for a series of innovative and cost effective shuttle ferries, featuring zero or very low levels of emissions. The design characteristic focuses on high energy efficiency with low resistance, both above and below the water line. The ferries are designed to run entirely on batteries, or in a battery-engine hybrid configuration where the fuel options are LNG or biofuel. In plug-in operation, the fuel consumption is reduced by 100% compared to conventional installations, and all local emissions are completely eliminated. With the plug-in hybrid configuration, emissions are reduced by 50%.

Hybrid propulsion solutions
The Wärtsilä HY is a hybrid power module that combines engines, an energy storage system, and power electronics optimised to work together through a energy management system, the “brain” of the HY power module. When operating in ‘Green Mode’ zero emissions can be achieved. Wärtsilä Zero operations is an innovative utilization of alternative energy carriers through carbon neutral fuels (such as Hydrogen, Ammonia, and the use of other Energy Storage Systems including Electrically Charged Batteries). Wärtsilä has developed an all-electric power module, capable of utilizing electric batteries in combination with fuel cells, which can be driven either by Hydrogen or LNG to deliver carbon-free operations.

Voyage optimisation
Smart Voyage Optimisation entails the creation of a Smart Marine ecosystem, whereby every vessel can connect to services that make voyaging safer and greener. Wärtsilä Fleet Operations Solution (FOS) combines individual processes that are otherwise separated, to optimise voyage planning, weather routing and fuel consumption taking into consideration environmental regulations such as the EU-MRV and IMO-DCS, speed management, as well as the hull, propeller and engine condition. Wärtsilä Navi-Planner offers an integrated solution for all aspects of route planning, optimization and monitoring. It analyses metaocean data, traffic and weather to plan the most efficient route for ships, cutting fuel consumption and resulting in reduced carbon emissions. Wärtsilä Navi-Port is an online infrastructure hooked up to the FOS system, which facilitates the exchange of accurate arrival times between ports and ships. This enables vessels to automatically adjust speed to achieve just-in-time arrival, resulting in fuel savings, as well as reduced congestion and CO2 emissions.  

Wärtsilä gas solutions
Wärtsilä VOC recovery system is self supplied with energy and results in zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions. These emissions from the global sea transportation of crude oil and associated products, account for a total of more than 5 million tonnes per year. We have also developed a system for VOC recovery in offshore oil loading applications. It exceeds the Norwegian authorities’ requirements for Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs) by reducing VOC emissions by 100 per cent, including methane, which is not currently specified in the regulatory requirements. Wärtsilä Biogas Solutions is the result of combining the biogas upgrading solutions from Wärtsilä Puregas with the capabilities of Wärtsilä’s biogas liquefaction. The unique Puregas CA biogas upgrading process recovers more than 99.9 percent of the available methane contained in raw biogas.

Flexicycle and combined heat and power plants
The Flexicycle solution is based on a gas, multi-fuel, or liquid fuel power plant in combination with a steam turbine combined cycle, offering compliance with the strictest international and local emissions legislation. Combined heat and power (CHP) and trigeneration plants use fuel in the most efficient way and at the same time help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Total plant efficiencies can reach over 90% depending on the application. Wärtsilä’s CHP plants can run on various liquid, gaseous and bio fuels, while maintaining low emissions and high efficiency

Energy storage and optimisation
Wärtsilä hybrid solutions offer technically and environmentally advanced stand-alone energy storage solutions to power markets globally. Greensmith, a Wärtsilä company, offers an industry-leading energy software platform system GEMS. With GEMS, hybrid power plants run in an optimal way at all times ensuring ideal utilization of both the engines and the energy storage solution to enable instant power while saving fuel, maintenance costs and reducing emissions. Engine+ Hybrid Energy pairs engines with energy storage to form a fully integrated, automated system that provides reliable and environmentally sound power generation, reducing CO2 emissions and lowering global demand for fossil fuels.

Power-to-X and future fuels
Power-to-X is a process which allows the creation of carbon neutral and renewable synthetic fuels by capturing CO2 from the air. In the future, fossil fuels will be replaced by these renewable synthetic fuels as they lower the impact on the climate. Power-to-X can decarbonise industries, transportation and the energy sector while utilising existing infrastructure. Wärtsilä is partnering with organisations such as Soletair Power Oy and Q Power Oy to find business opportunities for biomethanisation and synthetic fuels globally.