Finland’s Wartsila has secured its maiden order from Dutch contracting company Van Oord for five Wartsila 32 methanol-driven engines.
The newbuild engines will be deployed on board Van Oord’s new Offshore Wind Installation Vessel (WIV).
This vessel is currently being constructed at Yantai CIMC Raffles shipyard in China.
The scope of the order also covers the methanol fuel supply system and a package of thrusters for efficient station keeping.
Wartsila is expected to supply the equipment in early 2023.
Wartsila has more than ten years of experience with methanol and transformed the first of four engines on Stena Germanica to deploy the fuel in 2015.
Recently, Wartsila entered a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with Yantai CIMC Raffles to design and engineer solutions for newbuild ships.
The collaboration will focus on the use of carbon-free fuels and other integrated technology capabilities.
Yantai CIMC Raffles vice-president Li Minggao said: “Leveraging the combined strengths of Yantai CIMC Raffles and Wartsila will ensure that we can deliver the best solutions to support our customers on their path to lower emissions.”
Wartsila Marine Power president Roger Holm said: “Enabling the use of methanol fuel is an important step along the path towards decarbonised operations. These cooperations will speed the work in bringing these fuels to the market, and in building ships that meet and exceed the regulatory and operational requirements for the coming decades.”
Wartsila plans to work on the commercialisation of engine technologies that support the deployment of all alternative fuels in the near future.
Earlier this month, Wartsila and Singapore-based NYK Shipmanagement signed a long-term optimised maintenance deal for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.
