Launch Set for Upgraded Wärtsilä 20 Engine with More Power, Similar Low Bunker Consumption

The more powerful Wärtsilä 20 engine features an increased cylinder output of 220kW. Image Credit: Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä Corporation (Wärtsilä) today announced that it is launching an upgraded version of its Wärtsilä 20 diesel engine with an increased cylinder output of 220kW - a development the company says will allow vessels to accommodate greater payloads or achieve faster speeds with nearly same low fuel consumption as the current version.

The company explains that increasing the output per cylinder from 185kW to 220kW means fewer cylinders are needed to be installed in 60Hz generating sets, leading to the possibility of a lighter and more compact generating set within the 1.3 to 2 MW merchant auxiliary segment.

"The new Wärtsilä 20 engine has the best power-to-weight ratio on the market in its segment. This provides an exciting value proposition for owners of ships where a light yet powerful engine is an advantage," said Stefan Wiik, Vice President of Engines at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

Wärtsilä notes that, because the new engine is a refinement of the existing Wärtsilä 20 engine, there is a high level of compatibility with the spare parts needed, with maintenance procedures also largely unchanged.

The engine is set to be officially launched at the Marintec conference and exhibition, which runs from December 5 to 8 in Shanghai, China.

Last month, Ship & Bunker reported that Wärtsilä will supply two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20 engines fitted with the Wärtsilä NOR (NOx Reducer) exhaust gas cleaning system, and two 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 20 engines to a new exploration cruise vessel being built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co. (CMHI) shipyard.