Resolving ship-owners’ dilemma

“Investing in an engine now that unlocks a wider range of fuel options and possibilities for the future is a good insurance premium indeed,” informs Petteri Saares, Director – Middle East & Asia, Wartsila Marine Power

The maritime sector is competing to reduce emissions and a number of options have come up in terms of eco-fuels such as Hydrogen, Methanol, Ammonia, etc. Which of these fuels do you see gaining acceptance quickly and which of them will be more widely available as bunker in the long term?

In recognising that shipping’s ‘new’ fuels are not readily available yet at scale, it is difficult for ship owners – and the wider industry – to predict which pathway to take. It is why Wärtsilä is investing in a number of sustainable fuels and developing flexible technologies.

Ultimately, the final step in shipping’s journey towards decarbonisation will be the total use of zero-carbon fuels, either in whole or blended with conventional fuels or alternative power sources. We are starting to see great results with hydrogen, methanol and ammonia but they will all require more infrastructure to scale up. Many other steps can be taken in the meantime which provide simple and available possibilities to reduce baseload consumption and decarbonise with immediate effect, for example:

Drop-in renewable fuels have been a valuable option for the shipping industry and will be important in the short to medium term – particularly as blends. Without the need to modify engine components or refuelling infrastructure, drop-in biofuels and biogas are a viable way of lowering emissions without a capital-intensive fleet renewal or retrofitting.  

Other steps that can be taken today include installing dual-fuel engines and efficiency-boosting technology – such as wind-assist, propulsion system improvements, air lubrication or hybridisation – to allow ship owners and operate flexibility in their decision-making on long-term decarbonisation strategies.

Each of these steps, available to operators and owners today, can be essential in terms of staying competitive in the future fuels’ era. Investing in an engine now that unlocks a wider range of fuel options and possibilities for the future is a good insurance premium indeed.   

At Wärtsilä, ‘de-risking decarbonisation’ calls for ship owners to have maximum flexibility and to keep options open as the industry navigates the uncertain pathway to net zero. We are taking an innovative approach to engine solutions and collaborating with industry partners to transform the industry together. 

What are the latest engine technologies Wartsila has on offer for shipping lines to run on alternate fuels?

Wärtsilä is united in its aim of limiting climate change to below two degrees, and the development of engines capable of running on future fuels is crucial to that. Three examples to highlight include:

Our new Wärtsilä 25 engine. It is already capable of operating on diesel, LNG or on either gas or liquid carbon-neutral biofuels and can easily be upgraded to operate with future carbon-free fuels as they become available. The Wärtsilä 25 is also intended to be the first Wärtsilä engine to run on ammonia as a fuel – with technology development currently underway.

Another example is our Wärtsilä 32 methanol engine. Offering simple handling and storage, reliable combustion and near carbon-neutral power (when made using renewable electricity and captured carbon), methanol is emerging as a leading candidate for decarbonising shipping. The Wärtsilä 32 has a proven track record in a wide range of vessel applications, running on methanol and/or fuel oils. 

In addition, Wärtsilä 46TS-DF features modular design, which means every part of the engine is a module that can be replaced as needed. This approach makes it more cost-effective and straightforward to upgrade to run on carbon-neutral fuels like green methanol in the future.

How is the market for retrofitting ships to make them compatible with eco-fuels? Among which categories do you see more demand for retrofitting – container carriers, bulkers, cruise ships, ferries, etc?

Without immediate action in the form of retrofits or power limitation, much of today’s global fleet faces the prospect of non-compliance with the IMO’s CII regulations.  As such, we are seeing a general increase in demand for fuel conversion technology across all categories. To cater to this, we have the technology needed to use most future fuels today and development is on-going for others. We are also investing heavily in developing fuel conversion and retrofit solutions and currently already have a variety of retrofit solutions that can be implemented on both 4-stroke and 2-stroke engines.

When it comes to modifying a ship running on traditional fuels to make it compliant with eco-fuels, which of the engine components are replaced?

Modifying a ship running on traditional fuels to make it compliant with sustainable fuels can very much vary depending on the type of fuels, load- and operating profile, certification and safety requirements. In most cases, modifications are not limited only on engine. The whole fuel storage and supply system would need to be adapted depending on fuel selection.

After a ship is modified to run on alternative fuels, what type of warranty and after sales service does Wartsila offer?

Wärtsilä takes a long-term view on customer partnership and installations support. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that customers’ satisfaction is achieved through predictable and reliable performances, from the environmental, safety, operational and economic perspectives. All these angles are achieved by both having an extremely vast, global, experts’ presence and by the availability to propose long-term performance-based agreements. The latter ones are of multiple nature and different engagement levels, all ensuring owners and operators ease of mind.

Are there chances for ships to develop operational snags post-modification to run on eco-fuels? What are the common problems encountered post-modification?

As with anything in the marine market environment, there are unforeseeable events that can easily occur. When it comes to sustainable fuels, the process taking place after upgrades mainly relates to the new typology of fuel handling and the knowledge increase the crew is required to go through. One way that engine technology-related snags can be minimised is through creating thorough in-house development plans – from general technology to deep component endurance testing. The knowledge built in the field then provides the input for continuous developments, which, we at Wärtsilä, term our product improvement process. 

Tags: Bunkering, Engine, Petteri Saares, Ship Owners, Wartsila, Zero Carbon Fuels