Wärtsilä to boost fuel efficiency for KOTC’s VLCC quartet

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC), to retrofit main engines on four very large carriers (VLCCs) with the Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost solution.

Wärtsilä said that the modification will reduce fuel consumption, and correspondingly lessen the environmental impact of the vessels’ operation by lowering greenhouse gas emission levels. The company won the order in the first quarter of 2020. 

The Wärtsilä solution is based on two-stroke engine optimisation technology for selected Wärtsilä RT-flex and earlier deliveries of X-type two-stroke engines. The four KOTC very large crude carriers (VLCCs) to be retrofitted operate with 7-cylinder Wärtsilä RT-flex82T two-stroke main engines.

The retrofitting of the vessels with the Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost will take place over the coming six months.

“Our smart marine approach is dedicated to raising efficiencies and improving the environmental sustainability of marine operations. The Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost is completely aligned with this philosophy, while at the same time lowering operating costs,” Riad Belaid, Area Sales GM, Middle East & Asia, 2-stroke & Specialised Services, Wärtsilä Marine Business, said.

The Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost is a combination of an increased compression ratio and modified injector nozzles. Together with optimised engine tuning parameters, it allows fuel savings of up to 4%. The pilot installation showed around 10~12 tons per day lower fuel consumption than a sister vessel operating the same route, and resulted in 1195 tons of fuel savings over the 9 months pilot period, the technology company said.   

The company added that Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost initiative has attracted considerable interest from shipping companies seeking to boost fuel consumption, resulting in similar orders over the recent months.