Wärtsilä to Power LNG Offshore Construction Vessel
Wärtsilä is to supply the engines and other propulsion machinery for a new offshore construction vessel being built at the Cosco shipyard in China. The ship owner is Belgian operator Dredging International (DEME). This will be the first vessel of its kind to be fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and in addition to the dual-fuel engines, Wärtsilä will also provide its LNGPac fuel storage and supply system and propulsion systems. The orders with Wärtsilä were booked in the fourth quarter of 2016 and in February 2017.
This 210-meter-long vessel, the Orion, will be powered by four nine-cylinder Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel electric propulsion engines, and two six-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines. Wärtsilä will also supply two custom-made retractable thrusters, four underwater demountable thrusters, the Wärtsilä LNGPac storage and supply system, as well as commissioning, site supervision and extended project management services.
The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard in the latter part of 2017.
The Orion is expected to be delivered to the owners in 2018 and will undertake operations involving the installation of offshore windfarms in locations around the world.