Wärtsilä touts a methanol milestone

Heavy lift vessel with methanol engines and hybrid propulsion systems. (Image: SAL Heavy Lift GmbH & Co. KG)

Wärtsilä said engines in hybrid propulsion systems for four new heavy lift vessels will be capable of operating on clean-burning methanol.

The vessels have been contracted by SAL Heavy Lift GmbH, a German heavy lift and project cargo specialist and part of the Harren Group, in cooperation with its joint-venture partner, Netherlands-based Jumbo Shipping. There is an option for an additional two vessels. The ships are being built at the Wuhu Shipyard in China.

Wärtsilä’s system incorporates a variable-speed Wärtsilä 32 main engine capable of operating with methanol fuel. According to the company, this will make these ships among the first to be prepared to operate on methanol, a clean burning sulphur-free alternative to conventional fossil-based marine fuels. They will also be the first methanol capable ships to employ a variable speed main engine.

The hybrid system also includes Energy Storage, a PTO/PTI generator and motor, a multidrive converter, and the Wärtsilä Energy Management System for controlling and optimizing the hybrid operations. The Energy Storage system will be based on Lithium-Titanium-Oxide (LTO) batteries, which are designed to handle higher amounts of deep cycles than normal Lithium-Ion based systems, the company said. The ESS will significantly reduce the fuel consumption and/or the necessary size of the port’s electric shore connection during crane operations while also providing fuel savings at sea by reducing Engine Load fluctuations in rough seas.

For each vessel, Wärtsilä will also supply the gearbox, the controllable pitch propeller (CPP), the bow and stern thrusters, air shaft seals, as well as the sterntube and bearings.

“These ships represent the next generation in heavy lift shipping. In addition to their technical capabilities, they will feature outstanding environmental performance and help guide shipping towards a greener future,” said Dr Martin Harren, owner and CEO of SAL Heavy Lift. “We are committed to decarbonising shipping activities, and we wish to thank Wärtsilä for their support and cooperation throughout this project.”

The ships are scheduled for delivery in 2025 and will be used mainly to support wind farm installations.

Wärtsilä is a market leader in hybrid solutions for shipping applications with installations on board more than 70 vessels, and an installed battery capacity in excess of 100 MWh.