The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a strategic development agreement with Chinese state-owned shipbuilder CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited Huangpu Wenchong, the company said in its release. The five year agreement is aimed at the joint development of a hybrid powered dredger, but could possibly extend to other hybrid vessels as well. The agreement was signed on December 3 at the Marintec conference and exhibition in Shanghai.
The purpose of the agreement is to build a cooperation framework and working mechanism for the research and development of hybrid power systems. Wärtsilä will support Huangpu Wenchong during the design and construction phases with technology innovations, system selection, performance calculations, and long-term services.
The initial work will be based on a hopper dredger, a vessel that the shipyard already builds. Evaluations will be carried out to determine the most suitable hybrid solution for that class of dredgers.
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2018, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.