Wärtsilä Unveils 1st Hybrid Installation for Bulk Carriers

The technology group Wärtsilä has achieved a new technology benchmark with the introduction of the marine sector’s first hybrid installation for a bulk carrier.

Under the agreement signed on July 8, the system will be installed on the bulk carrier Paolo Topic, built at Onomichi Dockyard in Japan and managed by Marfin Management S.A.M.

Wärtsilä’s hybrid power module, the Wärtsilä HY, will ensure the seamless integration and control of the technologies to be installed, with the ship’s various existing power production systems. This is made possible by the use of an Energy Management System (EMS) that will have overall control of the engines, batteries, power distribution and, for the first time in the maritime industry, solar panels to be installed on the weather deck.

“This new technology development, utilising a combination of engines, solar power and batteries, represents a milestone for the industry and is made possible by the Wärtsilä HY integration,” Giulio Tirelli, Director at Wärtsilä Marine Business, said.

The integrated solution is expected to deliver a drastic reduction in fuel consumption and maintenance costs. This, combined with an advanced level of environmental sustainability, would make the Paolo Topic the global fleet’s most technologically advanced bulk carrier.