New Aasen Shipping bulker to feature Wärtsilä’s propulsion system

Finland-based technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to provide an integrated hybrid propulsion system for a bulk carrier currently under construction at the Dutch Royal Bodewes shipyard for Norwegian maritime transport company Aasen Shipping.

According to officials from Wärtsilä, the 9,500 dwt bulker is the latest in a series of six such vessels to operate a similar set of technology supplied by the company. Aasen Shipping and Royal Bodewes had tapped the Finnish company back in December 2023 for a similar order, covering three ships.

The eco-friendly newbuilding will reportedly operate one six-cylinder Wärtsilä 25 main engine equipped with a Wärtsilä NOx (nitrogen oxide) Reducer, a Wärtsilä gearbox and controllable pitch propeller with shaft line, and a Wärtsilä ProTouch remote propulsion control solution.

The hybrid propulsion system encompasses a DC hub and a 620kWh battery capacity, a control system as well as battery, power and energy management systems. Moreover, the medium-speed four-stroke Wärtsilä 25 engine is said to have been engineered for easy upgrades to operate on future low- and zero-carbon fuels.

The equipment is planned to be handed over sometime in the first half of 2027.

As noted by the Finnish marine technology player, owing to the technology scope that is to work in unison, Aasen Shipping expects to ‘optimize’ operations, minimize fuel consumption and ‘boost’ its environmental performance, in line with both the shipping company’s and broader, i.e., global decarbonisation targets.

To remind, Aasen Shipping and Royal Bodewes have signed contracts covering the construction of a set of specialized bulk carriers over the past years. In November 2023, the two shook hands on a deal concerning the building of a trio of hybrid-powered methanol-ready self-dischargers.

The 9,400 dwt Aasvaer, which is one of the units from this series, was handed off to Aasen Shipping on October 17 this year, right after seatrials that were conducted at the beginning of that month. The second newbuild is nearing its launch date, per the shipbuilder’s data available at that time.