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Leading solutions and services provider Wärtsilä has been contracted by the Korean yard STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, to supply exhaust gas cleaning systems for four new Container Ro/Ro (ConRo) vessels being built for Ignazio Messina & Co, the Italy-based ship owner and operator. The contract was signed on February 1 and is entered in the February order book.

Commenting on the news, Wärtsilä said: "This latest order will enable the new vessels to comply with both current and pending environmental legislation relating to exhaust emissions."

For ships sailing in European waters, the maximum sulphur content will be limited to 0.5% from 2020, while a tighter limit of 0.1% will apply from 2015 to ships operating in 'sulphur emission control areas' (SECAs), which include the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the English Channel.

The Wärtsilä systems supplied under the terms of the order will clean both sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter emissions from the main engines, auxiliary engines, and the boiler. Deliveries are scheduled to take place during 2013 and 2014, and the vessels are to be delivered by the shipyard to Ignazio Messina & Co during the second half of 2014.

"Our exhaust gas cleaning technology is well proven as being both reliable and effective in helping the industry comply with the increasingly stringent environmental regulations. The integration of Hamworthy's expertise into the Wärtsilä portfolio has given us a significant edge in meeting our customers' needs in this area," said Juha Kytölä, Vice President, Environmental Solutions, Wärtsilä Ship Power.

Enrico Allieri, Technical Director, Ignazio Messina, remarked: "This is a further step in ensuring that our fleet complies with the regulations. In fact, this time also the main engine's exhaust is included in the system supply. This order follows on from a contract with Hamworthy back in 2010 to supply exhaust gas cleaning systems for the auxiliary engines and boiler for four new 45,000 dwt RoRo vessels, the first of which, the "Jolly Diamante", was successfully delivered in 2011. The installation of Wärtsilä exhaust gas cleaning systems to control emissions is critical to our overall environmental objectives. We now have a competitive advantage in being able to comply with the 0.1 per cent sulphur regulations in EU ports while burning residual fuel oil, and are now fully prepared for the future global IMO and local EU requirements. These regulations will have a dramatic impact on the industry."

Wärtsilä offers a range of environmental solutions to help owners and operators meet upcoming legislation, including ballast water management systems and waste water treatment.