The technology group Wärtsilä is participating in a consortium of Finnish research organisations and leading companies researching means for developing radical new solutions for clean and efficient marine and off-road transport, according to the company's release. The project is expected to run until spring 2023, and has been granted funding of EUR 7.9 million by Business Finland, the Finnish Government’s organisation for innovation funding and trade, travel and investment promotion.
Led by the University of Vaasa, the Clean Propulsion Technologies project addresses tightening emissions legislation and ways by which new technologies can be employed to create sustainable propulsion solutions. Wärtsilä’s depth of experience and technical know-how in propulsion systems will play a central role, in particular in establishing a technology roadmap for directing future R&D efforts.
The most significant technological aspects of the anticipated project outcome are a ground-breaking medium-speed engine working in fuel-flexible Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) mode, the further development of dual-fuel engine technology to enable a drastic reduction in methane emissions at low and partial load, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) control technology improvements, and the development of machine learning control technology for greater accuracy in engine automation and control. The research will further focus on developments in advanced after-treatment measures aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent. Designing and implementing an optimal predictive powertrain control architecture for hybrid propulsion is also on the agenda.
The Clean Propulsion Technologies project will promote efforts to develop highly promising, innovative powertrain technologies for new products. These developments will be aimed at ensuring compliance with emission and greenhouse gas regulations in the marine and off-road transport segments by 2035. In the longer-term, the goal is to develop a technological roadmap for compliance with the IMO’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction target by 2050.
In addition to the University of Vaasa and Wärtsilä, the other project partners are Aalto University, Åbo Akademi University, Tampere University, VTT Research Centre of Finland, Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, AGCO Power, Meyer Turku, Napa, Dinex Finland, Geyser Batteries, Proventia, Bosch Rexroth, and APUGenius.
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.