Wärtsilä and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have signed a cooperation agreement to develop environmentally sound gas-fuelled merchant vessels. The intention is to jointly develop next-generation ships with efficient and competitive propulsion machinery concepts that meet or exceed the demands of future environmental regulations.
The focus of the joint study will be on utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for operating vessels. This is especially relevant in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Wärtsilä’s input will be related to the propulsion machinery, with particular reference to large bore dual-fuel engines combined with mechanical propulsion solutions.
SHI will concentrate on the design of highly-efficient vessels incorporating fuel storage facilities and gas-powered propulsion machinery.
Dual-Fuel Engines Comply with IMO Regulations
“Compared to conventional engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO), the dual-fuel engine technology offers 20-25 percent lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 90 per cent lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and almost negligible sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate emissions,” says Mr Jaakko Eskola, Group Vice President, Wärtsilä Ship Power. “In gas mode, our dual-fuel engines already comply with the IMO’s (International Maritime Organisation) regulations which come into force in 2016.”
Number of ECAs to Rise
For many decades, engines running on heavy fuel oil have been, and still are, the market standard for propulsion and electric power generation in merchant vessels as heavy fuel oil represents the cheapest available source of primary energy. Future environmental regulations will, however, require technologies with lower levels of emissions, and the number of ECAs in different regions of the world is expected to rise.
New Solutions Needed
Increasingly tough environmental regulations will open up opportunities for new solutions incorporating cost-efficient technology and this could trigger a substantial shift towards gas-powered dual-fuel vessels. From a price perspective, LNG is already competitive with liquid fuels, but further investment in the supply chain is necessary to encourage widespread use in shipping.
