Wärtsilä to launch LNG fuelled offshore construction vessel
Finnish manufacturing company Wärtsilä is set to supply engines and propulsion components to Dredging International’s new offshore construction vessel, the Orion, the first of its kind to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Wärtsilä will provide four nine-cylinder 46DF dual-fuel electric propulsion engines, two six-cylinder 20DF dual-fuel engines, as well as custom-made retractable thrusters, underwater demountable thrusters and its own LNGPac storage storage and supply system. The Helsinki-based firm is set to deliver its engines to the yard by the latter part of this year, while the Orion is set to be operational in 2018.
Wärtsilä has announced that it will supply the engines and other propulsion machinery for Dredging International’s (DEME) new offshore construction vessel being built at the Cosco shipyard in China.

This will be the first vessel of its kind to be fuelled by LNG.

The Orion will be powered by four 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel electric propulsion engines, and two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines. Wärtsilä will also supply two custom made retractable thrusters, four underwater demountable thrusters, the Wärtsilä LNGPac storage storage and supply system, as well as commissioning, site supervision and extended project management services.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard in the latter part of 2017. The Orion is expected to be delivered to the owners in 2018 and will undertake operations involving the installation of offshore windfarms in locations around the world.

Jan Gabriel, Head of newbuilding and conversion department at DEME, said: "The decision to utilise clean burning LNG fuel represents our commitment to provide environmentally sustainable solutions for our operations. Wärtsilä has extensive experience and vast technological know-how in this field, which is why we have selected them as our partner in this project.”

Arthur Boogaard, General Manager, Business Development Special Vessels at Wärtsilä, added: "We are pleased to have been involved in this newbuild project from the conceptual design stage, since this enables our input on providing the most fuel efficient solution. We are also delighted that the Wärtsilä 46DF engine has been selected, as the dual-fuel version of this well proven and popular engine has only recently been introduced."