---

Finnish firm Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading ship power system integrator, has signed a long term service agreement with Maersk LNG. The agreement includes maintenance planning, condition & performance monitoring, co-ordination and supply of technical services, parts and service work for five 165,000 cum LNG vessels equipped with Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines over a 5 year period.

“For Maersk LNG, this service agreement means improved levels of certainty regarding servicing of the main engines on our LNG vessels. With this monitoring system in place, maintenance work can be proactive,” said Claus H. Thomsen, Director, Maersk LNG.

“The contract also guarantees us stable maintenance costs for at least the next five years,” Thomsen added.

Wärtsilä has extensive experience in providing long-term operational and management services for about 1000 similar engines installed in ships and land-based power plants all over the world.

According to Wärtsilä, its 50DF dual-fuel engine represents a pioneering industry change from traditional steam turbine machinery to a dual-fuel-electric concept with the benefits of much better operating economy and lower exhaust emissions.

The engine can run on either natural gas, marine diesel oil (MDO) or on heavy fuel oil (HFO). Furthermore, the engine can smoothly switch between fuels during engine operation and is designed to give the same output regardless of the fuel used.

Wärtsilä Corporation and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (HHI) established a 50/50-owned South Korean joint venture, Wärtsilä-Hyundai Engine Company Ltd, in January 2007. The joint-venture manufactures Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines for LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers and other marine applications.

The 25,000 m2 manufacturing facility, which has a production volume of approximately 120 engines per year, is located in the Deabul Industrial Complex in South Korea. Production began in July 2008.

Demand in this market is expected to continue to grow in tandem with the increasing global demand for natural gas. The main markets for the dual fuel engines are in South Korea, which currently has a market share exceeding 80 percent of the LNG shipbuilding market.