Wärtsilä affirms new engine minimises methane slip by 41 per cent

Wärtsilä, a technology group, has created an ultra-low emissions

by 41 per cent.

When running on LNG, this improved version may reduce methane emissions by

up to 56 per cent and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 86 per cent at 50

per cent load.

The new version of Wärtsilä 31DF engine , which is used on one of

Wasaline’s four engines on the Aurora Botnia ferry, has reportedly helped the

Finnish-Swedish ferry operator decrease methane emissions by 10 per cent.

As part of the EU co-funded Green Ray and SeaTech projects, Wärtsilä

piloted the ultra-low emissions concept onboard the Aurora Botnia with

reportedly good results verified through an independent study conducted in

December 2022 by VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Encouraged by the encouraging findings, Wärtsilä has now commercialised the

new ultra-low emissions variant of the Wärtsilä 31DF engine.

This newest cooperation is part of Wärtsilä and Wasaline’s long-term

commitment to minimise emissions on the Aurora Botnia, the world’s most

ecologically efficient RoPax ferry.

Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline, commented: “We are very

committed to decarbonisation, and we have worked closely with Wärtsilä to make

sustainable shipping a reality. It is a goal-oriented partnership that benefits

both companies, as well as the industry as a whole.

“We have been pleased to allow the ‘Aurora Botnia’ to be utilised as a

floating laboratory, and we are excited to see the success of this latest

Wärtsilä technology breakthrough.”

The Wärtsilä 31DF engine platform, which was introduced in 2015, already

satisfies current regulatory requirements. The new version will allow operators

to go even farther in decreasing methane emissions, helping to futureproof their

vessels against possibly stricter worldwide standards in the long run.

Furthermore, upgrading dual fuel technology to reduce methane emissions

will have a significant influence on LNG’s long-term viability as a maritime

fuel.

Stefan Nysjö, Vice President of Power Supply, Wärtsilä Marine Power, said:

“Our work around reducing methane slip and GHG emissions is part of Wärtsilä’s

effort to continuously improve efficiency and reduce emissions of our products,

and this new innovation is one more very important step along the road to

decarbonisation.

“The building of an LNG fuel infrastructure has been an important factor in

shipping’s transition towards cleaner operations, and Wärtsilä continues to

create solutions that support this journey. Our focus has always been to improve

and optimise existing solutions, and to develop exciting new ones. With this

latest introduction, we are clearly delivering on this commitment.”

Although methane slip from engines is minor in percentage terms, it is

substantially more effective than CO2 – up to 28 times more toxic.

Cutting methane emissions is one of the most effective approaches for the

shipping sector to reduce overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from engines

over the next ten years, complementing other initiatives to reduce CO2

emissions.

In September, Wärtsilä announced it will supply an integrated hybrid

propulsion system for two new hybrid RoRo vessels.