The technology group Wärtsilä, with the consent of all joint Japanese patent holders developing gate rudder technology, has announced the signing of a Licence and Co-operation Agreement with Kuribayashi Steamship Co for future development, sales and servicing of the gate rudders, the company said in its release.
In addition to Kuribayashi Steamship Co, the other patent holders are Kamome Propeller, the National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology (NIMPAT, Japan), Yamanaka Shipbuilding, and Professor Noriyuki Sasaki. As an authorised license holder and partner, Wärtsilä intends to fully integrate gate rudders within its propulsion product designs and focus on global markets outside Japan.
The agreement was signed on 28 February 2020. By offering gate rudders as an integral part of Wärtsilä's propulsion offerings for newbuild vessels, compliance with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) will be further facilitated. The technology is available for both new build and existing vessels. As an integral part of the design, it will realise synergies in capital and operational savings for ship owners by increasing fuel efficiency, improving manoeuvrability and course stability in both calm and rough sea conditions, while also reducing noise and vibration. This new collaborative partnership will accelerate the deployment of gate rudder systems across all vessel classes.
By combining Wärtsilä's propulsion and machinery integration expertise with the Japanese patent holders' gate rudder technology and know-how, this new technology will become accessible throughout the marine sector, with ship owners benefiting from the technology concepts.
About Wärtsilä:
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 2019, 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.