Bunker Consumption in New Engine "Considerably Reduced"

Typical applications of the engine would be in handysize vessels such as the Orientor 2

First testing of a new low speed Wärtsilä engine has shown it reduces bunker consumption, and therefore reduces emissions, as well as having a lower cost of operation, the Helsinki headquartered company said in today's press release.

The derated engine, designed for use in smaller vessels, runs on lower revolutions per minute (rpm) and "thanks to the low speed of the engine and propeller, the total fuel consumption of the vessel is considerably reduced," Wärtsilä said.

It is designed to operate on a wide range of fuels, from marine diesel oil (MDO) to heavy fuel oil (HFO), of different qualities.

The 2-stroke engine is a Wärtsilä RT-flex50 version D which has had its turbocharger moved from the exhaust end to the driving end side.

This allows the new engine to be used in ship designs with slim stern sections where the current exhaust engine side mounted turbochargers will not fit, which the company says gives designers a choice where previously a smaller bore and higher speed would need to be used.

The Finnish corporation says the higher performance of the cylinders in the RT-flex50 version D allows the use of one less cylinder compared to smaller cylinder bore and higher speed engines which could also lead to reduced maintenance costs.

Wärtsilä say typical applications of the engine would be in small bulker and tanker vessels, handysize and container vessels, and feeder ships.

Testing of the engine took place at Wärtsilä's licensee Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, and was completed in April 2012.