Shanghai: The new Wärtsilä low-pressure, 2-stroke, dual-fuel engine (DF) has been endorsed with an important new order. A 5-cylinder Wärtsilä RT-flex50DF engine, together with the gas valve unit and other relevant equipment, has been ordered for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier vessel being built for the Chinese shipowner and operator, Zhejiang Huaxiang Shipping.
Qidong Fengshun Ship Heavy Industry is building the new vessel. The contract was signed in March, 2014. When delivered in August 2015, the 14,000 cu m LNG carrier will operate along the Chinese coastline to serve domestic LNG transportation lines.
Wärtsilä unveiled its low-pressure, dual-fuel technology for 2-stroke engines in November of last year.
“We feel that the Wärtsilä dual-fuel engine is excellent, especially the low pressure 2-stroke DF version, which we see as being an innovation that meets the demand of the market. As owners, we are very satisfied with this engine technology and believe that it will capture a large share of the market. We look forward to seeing this technology extended to cover other cylinder bores,” said Cai Dejiang, general manager of Zhejiang Huaxiang.
Zhejiang Huaxiang is one of the only two companies who have the Business Certificate of LNG transportation in coastal China issued by the Ministry of Transport. [25/03/14]
