First, the company signed a joint industry project co-operation (JIP) undertaking with Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC).
The JIP’s objective is to develop a preliminary production level design for a 127,000 dwt shuttle tanker that may be built by DSIC with DNV GL classification. The agreement was signed in October, 2017.
The demand for shuttle tankers is forecast to increase, and this joint project is intended to generate a high level design concept with a dynamic positioning (DP) system that can be offered to potential owners.
By having a ready and approved design available, the building period can be significantly reduced.
“We are excited to enter into this agreement that offers a proactive approach to meeting the future needs of the tanker sector. We congratulate DSIC for their vision and foresight in working to develop a state-of-the-art shuttle tanker," said Aaron Bresnahan, vice president, sales, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
"This project is based on market demand forecasts for the future and we are fortunate to have Wärtsilä as a partner. Their technological knowhow and vast industry experience will make an invaluable contribution to the success of this project," said Liu Wenmin, of CSIC.
Wärtsilä will provide technical design support for the project. This will include developing an optimised propulsion and thruster solution and machinery with a high-level electric configuration for the vessel's DP control system.
Second, the company has also unveiled a voyage emissions reduction (VER) system as a means for increasing oil tanker revenues, while also aiding the environment through reduced emissions.
The system is claimed to effectively eliminates the problem of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from tankers during laden voyages.
VOC's are organic chemicals having a high vapour pressure resulting from their low boiling point, which leads to extensive evaporation. On average, an tanker will emit 0.085% of its contained cargo each week. For a 320,000 dwt VLCC, this amounts to 270 tonnes of lost cargo per week.
The Wärtsilä VER system is available in two versions. The 'reabsorption' version is a simple to install, 'plug-in' system that re-circulates the VOC back to the cargo tanks. It represents a technology for eliminating cargo losses, which operates automatically and without manual intervention. This system takes far less power to operate than available alternative systems, the company claimed.
The 'fuel' version uses the VOC as fuel for the vessel. Wärtsilä said that this is a new, unique and patent pending innovation with significant fuel cost saving advantages. Both versions promote environmental sustainability by reducing VOC emissions by up to 75%, the company said.
"Wärtsilä is dedicated to developing innovative solutions that reduce operating costs for owners, while at the same time contributing to a cleaner environment. The VER system follows this philosophy by eliminating cargo waste and optimally lowering tanker fuel costs, thus enabling a payback time that can be less than one year," said Timo Koponen, vice president, flow and gas solutions, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
The Wärtsilä VER system meets all the regulation 15 requirements of the IMO’s MARPOL Annex VI protocol. It also fulfills port specific requirements for terminals with regards to VOC emission reductions.
Third at Marintec, the company launched the Wärtsilä WST-24R, claimed to be the industry's first tilted steerable thruster with combined electric retraction and steering.
Enabling excellent auxiliary manoeuvring in station keeping or dynamic positioning (DP) operations, the WST-24R provides reliability, as well as easy installation, integration and maintenance, the company said and is applicable to shuttle tanker operations.
One of the most notable features of the new thruster is the gearbox, which has an 8 deg tilted propeller shaft configuration. This significantly reduces thruster/hull interactional losses, thereby producing up to 20% more effective thrust than conventional non-tilted thrusters and enabling lower fuel consumption. This extra effective thrust directly contributes to the advanced DP capability of a vessel.
Replacing the existing LMT 1510, the WST-24R thruster offers more than 10% added unit thrust as a result of the reduced power density. This, combined with improved hydrodynamics and the dedicated company thruster nozzle design, reduces the environmental impact of the propulsion system.
The WST-24R can also be delivered to comply with clean notations and is optionally compatible with the US EPA's VGP2013 stipulations.