Wärtsilä 50DF Engine Ready for Ethane Fuel

Wärtsilä 50DF marine engine has been tested in close collaboration with Evergas and certified to run on ethane (LEG) fuel, Wärtsilä said.

“We are very pleased that the Wärtsilä engines will be capable of utilising ethane boil-off gas as fuel. It increases our operational efficiency and improves flexibility in the bunkering of fuels. All in all it results in a significant reduction in operating costs, while also providing a minimal environmental footprint,” says Steffen Jacobsen, the CEO of Evergas.

The capability to efficiently burn ethane boil-off gas as engine fuel significantly reduces the need of gas re-liquefaction during the voyage. This means that less power is needed for the cargo handling, thus providing a more efficient and environmentally sound overall system, Wärtsilä explained.

The engines have the capability to seamlessly switch between Liquid Natural Gas (LNG), Ethane (LEG), Liquid Fuel Oil (LFO) or Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) without the need for any modifications to hardware and with uninterrupted operation, thereby setting a new standard in fuel flexibility.

“This is yet another significant breakthrough for Wärtsilä’s multi-fuel technology. The option to utilise ethane gas as a marine fuel further extends the fuel flexibility of our DF engine portfolio. It also provides yet another option to achieve compliance with the IMO’s stringent Tier III legislation,” says Lars Anderson, Vice President, Engine Sales, Wärtsilä Ship Power.