CSSC, Wärtsilä Form E&A Joint Venture

China’s shipbuilding conglomerate China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Finnish engineering company Wärtsilä have signed a deal to form a joint venture company which will focus on the growing Chinese electrical & automation (E&A) market in the segment of high-tech ship applications. 

The new joint venture, to be known as CSSC Wärtsilä Electrical & Automation (CWE&A), is expected to be fully operational before the middle of 2017, according to Wärtsilä.

CWE&A will offer Wärtsilä electrical and automation systems and equipment for high-tech ships.

“Vessels are becoming more complex, with E&A solutions being increasingly important, and as digitalisation enters the marine industry CWE&A will be well positioned to meet the needs of its customers in this field,” Jaakko Eskola, CEO of Wärtsilä, explained.

The business scope of the new venture will include project engineering, project management, commissioning and supply management of automation and navigation and communication systems.

In addition, the business scope will encompass systems including dynamic positioning, electric propulsion, power distribution, entertainment, architectural lighting, safety and security as well as full systems integration.

The joint venture owners will be CSSC Electronics Technology and Wärtsilä.