Wärtsilä in Chinese Low Emissions LNG Engine Deal

Wärtsilä DF engines have the same output regardless of the fuel used.

Wärtsilä Corporation (Wärtsilä) has announced it will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) capable main engines for two Chinese tugs being built for CNOOC Energy Technology & Services Limited (CETS), a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC).

The statement said the vessels will be the first in China to operate on gas and are the first in a planned series, with the first tug expected to be delivered in June 2013.

According to Wärtsilä, the low emission 'environmentally sustainable' tugs will offer high fuel efficiency, enabling lower operating costs, and will operate along the Chinese coastline refueling from CETS' own bunkering terminals.

Each 6500 brake horse power (bhp) tug will be powered by two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF in-line dual-fuel engines with the ability to operate on LNG, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO).

The vessels will be able to switch between fuels seamlessly during operation without loss of power or speed and are designed to have the same output regardless of the fuel used.

Wärtsilä said that when operating in gas mode, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are 85% below current IMO regulations, and 25% less than marine engines running on conventional diesel fuel, while "sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions are negligible at almost zero percent." 

"The low emission levels made possible by this technology is particularly beneficial for vessels operating close to population centres, as tugs frequently are," the press release said.

Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President Wärtsilä Ship Power Specials, said, "It is a landmark project that is very much in line with the marine sector's key targets of achieving greater sustainability with better fuel effiency."

According to a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in June 2012, China is expected to more than double its natural gas consumption over the next five years and will become the third-largest gas importer behind Europe and Asia Oceania.

Ship & Bunker reported in May that Wärtsilä's dual-fuel technology was the choice of 100 LNG carriers, representing about 25% of the current global fleet.