Wärtsilä engines for 7 new Arctic shuttle tankers

Finnish technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the main and harbour engines for a series of seven new Arctic shuttle tanker vessels being built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in South Korea.

The order, which is valued at more than €100 million ($113.4 million) was placed with Wärtsilä in December 2021.

According to data provided by VesselsValue, there are seven Aframax shuttle tankers under construction at SHI for Russia’s Rosnefteflot.

The 120,000 dwt vessels are Arc 7 classified and have icebreaking capability. They are expected to be ready for commissioning between 2024 and 2027.

“We are delighted to work with Wärtsilä to provide main and auxiliary power as well as emissions abatement for this series of highly capable vessels,” Youngkyu Ahn, Vice President, Samsung Heavy Industries, said.

Specifically, each vessel will feature six Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel main engines operating primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel, and two Wärtsilä 20 harbour engines. All will be fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for emissions abatement.

“The Wärtsilä 31 series of engines has set a benchmark in efficiency for the industry. The diesel version has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine, and all versions of the Wärtsilä 31 engine series have the same high focus on efficiency. This is important for vessels such as these operating in Arctic waters, where operational reliability and environmental sustainability are of critical importance,” Östen Lindell, Sales Director East Asia & China, Wärtsilä Marine Power, commented.

The Wärtsilä engines are designed to operate reliably at temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees C. The equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in Q4 2022.

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