Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel engines have exceeded three million running hours in both[ds_preview] land-based and marine applications. The total number of delivered dual-fuel engines is 470. Dual-fuel engine technology provides flexibility to switch between natural gas and heavy fuel oil (HFO), light fuel oil (LFO) and other liquid fuels. With oil prices fluctuating and environmental regulations becoming increasingly stringent, the operator has the freedom to select the most cost-effective and readily available fuel, whilst also having the ability to utilize natural gas in order to comply with emission limitations.
Furthermore, Wärtsilä has successfully tested its new dual-fuel two-stroke low-speed gas engine technology in trials conducted at the company’s facilities in Trieste, Italy. The ongoing tests show that the two-stroke gas engine performance is in compliance with the upcoming IMO Tier III NOx emission limits. The new RTX5 two-stroke test engine is part of the dual-fuel gas engine technology development programme. »Dual-fuel technology is the spearhead of Wärtsilä’s engine portfolio and is leading the marine sector towards a more sustainable future«, said Juhani Hupli, Ship Power Technology Vice President at Wärtsilä Ship Power.
At Wärtsilä’s first in-house exhibition in September in Hamburg all aspects of dual-fuel systems draw attention of customers, not only questions of LNG propulsion, a development in which Wärtsilä is a front runner, but also the bunkering of liquid fuel. Further discussed was the topic of fitting now available, newly developed ballast-water systems at the right time, and thereby protect the environment and comply with the relevant legislation. With 13 countries and 33 stands, Wärtsilä showcased itself in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg. Managers from the Ship Power and Ship Design departments were also on hand to talk to visitors. The honing machine, even for large two-stroke liners, and the common rail test bed, one of four worldwide, attracted considerable attention.
