Wärtsilä Inks Deal for First LNG-Fueled Dry Cargo Vessel

Illustration courtesy Wärtsilä

Finnish manufacturer Wärtsilä says it has awarded a contract to supply the main engine for the first LNG-fueled dry cargo vessel.

The ship has been ordered by JT Cement, a joint venture between Erik Thun AB of Sweden and KG Jebsen Cement of Norway and is being built at the Scheepswerf Ferus Smit yard in the Netherlands.

The vessel, a 90-meter 5,875 DWT cement carrier, will feature a 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF main engine capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other fuels including marine diesel fuel, bio fuel and heavy fuel oil. In gas mode, the engine will fulfill upcoming IMO Tier III requirements without any need for treatment systems. In addition to the main engine, Wärtsilä will also supply an enclosed Gas Valve Unit (GVU).

“The arguments in favor of gas fuel are so strong that it is no surprise that more and more vessel types are adopting its use. LNG is no longer a ‘niche’ fuel for a few specific types of ship; nowadays virtually all merchant vessels can take advantage of the environmental and cost saving benefits that LNG fuel offers. Wärtsilä is proud to be a technology leader in making this possible,” says Lars Anderson, Vice President, 4-Stroke Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

The vessel was designed by Erik Thun together with Ferus Smit and class society Lloyds Register. Delivery is expected for August 2015.

Here are some additional illustrations from Erik Thun: