Wärtsilä to Design, Equip Arctic Vessel

Wärtsilä won the contract to design a multipurpose transport vessel that will operate in Antarctic waters. 

Wärtsilä will also provide the vessel with a comprehensive package of integrated propulsion and hybrid solutions to ensure highly efficient and environmentally sustainable operations. The ship has been ordered by Norway-based Aker BioMarine and will be constructed in China, at CIMC Raffles. The ship design order with Wärtsilä was booked in December 2018, while the order for the integrated solutions package was booked in March 2019.

The 168 meters long, 20,300 dwt vessel will comply with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Polar Code. Because it will operate in the environmentally sensitive Antarctic, Wärtsilä’s sustainable technical and hybrid solutions, with high levels of safety and reliability, were considered as being the most suitable for this project.

The new vessel will be powered by a Wärtsilä 31 engine, and two Wärtsilä 20 engines will provide the auxiliary power. The engines will all be fitted with Wärtsilä’s NOx Reducer (NOR) to prevent nitrogen oxide emissions when in diesel mode. Wärtsilä will also deliver the power distribution system, including hybrid drives and a battery package, the gearbox, controllable pitch propeller and thrusters. A Wärtsilä Nacos Platinum Joystick system will be supplied to enhance the efficiency and safety of the ship’s operations. To ensure optimal system performance and energy utilization, the integrated solution is controlled by Wärtsilä’s power and energy management system and propulsion control.

The ship will carry supply goods and liquids, as well as krill products from krill harvesting vessels working in the Antarctic area. For this, an innovative cargo handling system has been developed.

The vessel is expected to be ready for the 2021 harvesting season.