The technology group Wärtsilä has expanded its partnership with the Dutch marine contractor Van Oord with the signing of a 9-year renewal and extension to its Optimised Maintenance agreement, according to the company's release.
The new agreement also expands on the original by adding Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight and Data Driven Maintenance solutions. It also enables the addition of technologies and maintenance procedures delivering better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. The contract covers the Wärtsilä engines installed on the cutter suction dredger ‘Athena’ and was signed in January 2021.
Expert Insight is an innovative solution that takes predictive maintenance to a higher level than previously possible. The service leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems in real-time, spot anomalies, foresee potential problems, and enable rapid reaction accordingly. Should anomalous behaviour be detected, it is flagged to specialists at Wärtsilä Expertise Centres, allowing them to support the customer proactively with an appropriate resolution to the issue. The combination of AI, advanced diagnostics, and the company’s extensive equipment expertise greatly enhances the reliability, efficiency, and safety of the installed equipment.
Wärtsilä and Van Oord have a long-standing business relationship. ‘Athena’ operates with three Wärtsilä 46F engines.
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 2020, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.