Wärtsilä Dual-Fuel Engines Supporting Japan’s Shipping Sector

A total of 16 new gas carrier ships being built in Japan for Japanese owners are to be powered by Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines capable of running on LNG or conventional diesel fuels.

The orders specify 20 nine-cylinder, 25 six-cylinder and 16 eight-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines. This total of 61 engines that will be running primarily on LNG represents a significant expansion of Japan’s gas fueled merchant fleet. These will be the first Wärtsilä 50DF engines delivered for Japan’s LNG carrier market. The first of the Wärtsilä machinery was delivered at the end of December 2015.

“We at Wärtsilä have always been at the forefront in making it possible, through our technologies, for LNG to become a viable marine fuel,” said Lars Anderson, Vice President, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

The 16 vessels have a gas cargo capacity of between 5.50 and 6.35 million cu. ft. They will be employed mainly in delivering shale gas from the U.S. to Japan.