Wärtsilä Introduces New Dual Fuel Engine

Wärtsilä 46DF

Finnish engine manufacturer Wärtsilä has expanded its dual fuel (DF) engine line to include the new 46DF, a four-stroke DF engine specifically developed for the high-output market segment.

The new 46DF extends the company’s DF engine family by covering the power range from 6.2 MW to 18.3 MW at 600 rpm, optimal for LNG carriers, cruise ships, cargo ships, RO-RO/PAX ferries and large offshore units.

The Wärtsilä 46DF design is based on the proven Wärtsilä 46F and Wärtsilä 50DF engine families, which have operated successfully on the market since the early 2000s.

The engine consists of two different versions, depending on application and customer requirements. The high efficiency version offers significant fuel savings with a cylinder power of 1045kW, while the high power version is capable of a cylinder power of 1145kW with excellent engine thermal efficiency.

Wärtsilä says that for LNG carrier applications, this could lead to fuel savings of up to 20 tons/day compared to the first introduced DF engines. Wärtsilä also adds that with up to 14 fewer cylinders installed, the overall lifecycle installation costs are reduced roughly 1000 USD/day.

The dual fuel technology enables the engine to be operated on either natural gas, heavy fuel oil, or marine diesel oil, and switching between fuels can take place during operation without loss of power or speed.

When operating in gas mode, the Wärtsilä 46DF engine is already compliant with IMO Tier III regulations without any secondary scrubber systems. In liquid fuel oil mode, the Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines are fully compliant with the IMO Tier II exhaust emission regulations set out in Annex VI of the MARPOL 73/78 convention.

“With this newly launched product, Wärtsilä has raised the industry standard even higher, since it offers simultaneously drastically lower specific fuel consumption, both in gas and diesel fuel mode, remarkably higher output, and extremely attractive lifecycle costs compared to any other alternative currently available on the market,” says Mr Lars Anderson, Vice President 4-stroke Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel technology was first launched in the early 1990s for use in land-based power plant applications and made its first marine installation appearance a decade later with its 50DF engine, which is particularly popular in the LNG carrier segment.

To date, the company says it has sold more than 1,000 land and sea based dual fuel engines globally.

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up