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Finnish firm Wärtsilä and IHI Marine United Inc. (IHIMU) of Japan, have concluded a co-operation agreement for Contra-Rotating Propeller (CRP) systems developed by IHIMU to be incorporated into Wärtsilä’s propulsion solutions on board diesel-electric driven ships.

The co-operation agreement mainly covers the European market, where the environmental demands on shipping operations have become increasingly stringent.

The IHIMU CRP systems have been installed over a period of more than 20 years onboard VLCC and bulk carrier vessels. The company has further developed its CRP systems for diesel-electric ship applications installed from 2007 onwards.

"Wärtsilä is able to totally engineer a highly efficient propulsion solution incorporating the IHIMU CRP systems into a comprehensive system that is environmentally sound. Wärtsilä is, therefore, able to market the CRP system as an integrated part of its propulsion solution," Wärtsilä said in a statement.

The IHIMU CRP system is said to achieve 10 percent better propulsion efficiency compared to conventional diesel-electric propulsion systems, and is applicable to all vessels from small ships to large LNG carriers.

"This efficiency improvement translates into significant fuel savings, thus enabling a short return on investment as well as reduced greenhouse gas emissions," Wärtsilä said.

The application of the CRP system could also be extended to include hybrid (mechanical driven and electric driven) propulsion systems, and four-stroke mechanical systems, at a future stage.

Wärtsilä, which is present in 70 countries, said "The Wärtsilä’s network will ensure after sales support for the whole IHIMU CRP system, together with Wärtsilä propulsion solutions, thereby offering ship owners reliable worldwide coverage for maintenance and repairs."

Following the signing of the agreement with IHIMU, Mr Lars Anderson, Vice President, Merchant, Wärtsilä Ship Power, commented: “The fuel savings and lower emissions of the IHIMU CRP system makes it a perfect fit for Wärtsilä’s propulsion solutions offering. It will enhance our company’s strategic goal of being a total solutions provider, while at the same time boosting our ability to help ship operators and owners meet the challenge of reducing CO2 emission levels.

"It is also important to note that the payback time for the CRP system is rather short, which is an important economic aspect for owners,” Anderson added.