Wärtsilä to Participate in LNG Powered Dry Bulk Carrier Project

Wärtsilä is to team up with an international group of shipping industry companies and organizations in a project to develop a concept for equipping future dry bulk carrier vessels with LNG propulsion.

Project Forward is led by Athens-based Arista Shipping. It began officially in May 2015 with the aim of developing a commercially feasible LNG powered dry bulk carrier design capable of complying with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Energy Efficiency Design Index 2025 standards, as well as with all relevant emission reduction regulations. In addition to Arista Shipping, the other parties involved in the project are Finnish ship designer Deltamarin, the Houston based classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and GTT, the French LNG membrane containment system designer.

The Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engine is likely to form the basis of the concept’s propulsion system. Introduced in June 2015, the Wärtsilä 31 has been recognized by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine. The DF version allows the use of either LNG or conventional marine fuel oils. While 2-stroke engines are the conventional choice for vessels of this type, the efficiency of the Wärtsilä 31 engine makes it a viable alternative option.