Wärtsilä will supply a complete power system, including two of its 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel medium-speed engines, for a new dry cargo inland waterway vessel, built within the ECO Inland Vessel project. This will be the first ever medium speed, dual-fuel, mechanically driven inland waterway vessel capable of operating for 95-99 percent of the time on LNG fuel, with a minimum of pilot marine gas oil (MGO) used for ignition.
The vessel will be part of the ECO Inland Vessel project, which is focused on developing innovative measures for making the inland shipping sector more economically and environmentally sound. A transition to liquefied natural gas (LNG) is widely viewed as being one of the most realistic options for significantly reducing the environmental footprint of marine transportation.
MGO
In addition to the two dual-fuel engines, the scope of the order includes two fixed pitch propellers in a nozzle, the coldbox, and the LNG tanks. The engines can also fully operate on MGO.
New Standards for Sustainable Inland Shipping
The 135 meter vessel will set new standards in environmentally and economically sustainable operations on inland waterways in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and France. The vessel is being built for Combi International, a Dutch ship development, design and construction company located in Raamsdonksveer. The order has been placed by Koedood Diesel Service BV.
ECO Inland Vessel Project
The vessel is the first of three inland vessels that will serve as pilots for innovative, environmentally sound power systems (engines and propulsion) for inland shipping. All three vessels will be designed, tested and implemented within the ECO Inland Vessel project.
Consortium of Maritime Companies
A consortium of maritime companies has joined forces in this project with Wärtsilä Netherlands BV as the co-ordinating partner. The other partners are Koedood Dieselservice, Combi Group BV, Reederei Deymann, TNO, DST and Hochschule Emden-Leer. The project’s goal is to identify the most efficient and economical power systems for various types of inland shipping vessels. The project is part of a larger initiative known as MariTIM (Maritime Technologies and Innovations Model region Germany-The Netherlands), sponsored by the EU.
Picture: Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engine
