World’s first dual-fuelled dredger to be powered by Wärtsilä
A new generation “Antigoon” class dredger, called “Scheldt River”, being built by Royal IHC (IHC) in the Netherlands on behalf of the Belgium based DEME Group, is to be powered by Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines, the Finnish Corporation said in a press release.
This will be the first ever dredger to operate on engines capable of utilising either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional marine fuels. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in July.
The 104 metre long vessel will have a hopper volume capacity of approximately 8,000 cubic metres. The scope of supply includes one 12-cylinder and one 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF engines, two Wärtsilä controllable pitch propellers and two transverse thrusters as well as the company’s patented LNGPac gas supply and storage system.
This is the second notable order received by Wärtsilä in recent weeks for dredger related propulsion solutions. In June, the company was contracted to supply a comprehensive intergrated solutions package for one of the world’s largest and most advanced self-propelled cutter dredgers currently under construction in China.
Wärtsilä is today recognized as a leader in propulsion solutions for gas fuelled vessels. The company's strong and early commitment to this goal has created in depth knowledge of the use of natural gas and LNG. The Wärtsilä LNGPac is an addition to Wärtsilä’s portfolio of solutions for the LNG fuelled ship market. It represents further proof of Wärtsilä’s expertise and knowledge of LNG applications, as well as its dedication to make LNG available for all ship operators and owners.
Helsinki-headquartered Finnish company Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. In 2010, Wärtsilä's net sales totaled EUR 4.6 billion with 17,500 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.