Wartsila, Zhenjiang launch new CP propellers factory in China
Wärtsilä CME Zhenjiang Propeller Co Ltd, the joint venture company of Wärtsilä Corporation and Zhenjiang CME Ltd, today inaugurated its new manufacturing facilities for controllable pitch (CP) propellers in Zhenjiang, China. Wärtsilä CME has invested EUR 12 million in these state-of-the-art facilities, which was announced last October, Wärtsilä press release said.
Wärtsilä CME Zhenjiang Propeller is the first company in China to manufacture Wärtsilä designed hydraulically operated CP propellers. The first deliveries from the new factory are planned to take place later this year. Wärtsilä CP Propellers offer excellent efficiency and manoeuvrability and are ideal solutions for ships requiring frequent port calls.
The new factory provides the capability to assemble and machine all sizes of controllable pitch propellers. The specialized in-house bronze castings are supplied from an existing foundry located in the company’s fixed pitch propeller factory. Wärtsilä is able to offer a uniquely wide range of CP propellers with an output from 1.5 to 60 MW. The majority of the new factory’s manufacturing equipment was transferred from the Wärtsilä factory in Drunen, the Netherlands, where production was closed in 2010.
Most of the propellers produced in the new factory will be sold to the rapidly growing Chinese markets, with some 30 percent of the production likely to be exported. As about 20 percent of the world’s new build vessels use CP propellers of the type manufactured in the new factory, Wärtsilä foresees significant potential in all global markets in addition to the Chinese market.
The agreement to manufacture controllable pitch propellers was signed between Wärtsilä and Zhenjiang CME Ltd, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in October 2010. The joint venture company, Wärtsilä CME Zhenjiang Propeller Co Ltd, is located in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province and was established in 2004 between Wärtsilä, with a 55 percent share, and Zhenjiang CME Ltd with 45 percent. The joint venture has grown rapidly, to the point that it is now the biggest manufacturer and supplier of fixed pitch (FP) propellers in China, and one of the biggest in the world.
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasizing technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximizes the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2010, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with more than 17,500 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world.