Wärtsilä to Power Seven New Arctic Shuttle Tankers
Wärtsilä will supply the main and harbor engines for a series of seven new arctic shuttle tankers being built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in South Korea. The order, which is valued at more than EUR 100 million, was placed with Wärtsilä in December 2021.
The 120,000 DWT vessels are Arc 7 classified and have icebreaking capability. The Wärtsilä engines are designed to operate reliably at temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees C. SHI has considerable experience in building ships of this type.
The vessels will each feature six Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel main engines operating primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel, and two Wärtsilä 20 harbor engines. All will be fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for emissions abatement.
The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in Q4 2022, and the ships are expected to be ready for commissioning between 2024 and 2027.
“The Wärtsilä 31 series of engines has set a benchmark in efficiency for the industry. The diesel version has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient four-stroke diesel engine, and all versions of the Wärtsilä 31 engine series have the same high focus on efficiency. This is important for vessels such as these operating in Arctic waters, where operational reliability and environmental sustainability are of critical importance,” said Östen Lindell, Sales Director East Asia & China, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
