Wärtsilä and MSC partner on two-stroke future fuels conversion solution

The Finnish technology group Wärtsilä will commercially launch its Two-Stroke Future Fuels Conversion platform during the first quarter of 2022.

Wärtsilä believes this engine combustion technology platform will enable the fast and cost-effective conversion of two-stroke main engines to operate on clean-burning future fuels, marking progress in the shipping decarbonisation while the easy retrofitting will avoid owners having to face long off-hire charter time.

The retrofit conversion will initially enable operation with currently available LNG fuel, most importantly with negligible methane slip from the engine. The modular design of this concept provides a platform that will be further developed in order to allow for the adoption of alternative green fuels or fuel blends.

The conversion solution’s flexibility means that the first step towards adopting the use of future fuels can be taken now knowing that the investment will not become obsolete. The benefits, both economic and environmental, are significant,” said Roger Holm, President Marine Power & EVP Wärtsilä Corporation.

The development programme has recently been concluded with successful initial engine tests in the Wärtsilä two-stroke engine laboratory in Trieste, in partnership with MSC Shipmanagement.

“Together with Wärtsilä we have high expectations for the next steps of this initiative, which starts with technology demonstration on one of our larger container vessels with a Wärtsilä RT-flex96C-B main engine, and which will continue to make our existing fleet ready to meet future emissions needs,” commented Prabhat Jha, CEO & Group Managing Director MSC Shipmanagement.

Wärtsilä said that a world-first feature of the concept is the cryogenic fuel supply system, which together with a revolutionary injection system, provides flexible and optimised operational performance under all conditions.

The conversion solution is aimed at vessels operating with two-stroke, electronically controlled engines. The concept can be complemented with Wärtsilä’s Fuel Gas Supply System to provide a complete turnkey solution. “This will expand the company’s offering of fuel-flexible options to help meet its customers’ decarbonisation strategies,” pointed out Wärtsilä.

The first commercial conversion project will be completed by mid-2023. The conversion concept is applicable to both large- and smaller bore engine types.