Wärtsilä tech ordered for German LNG-fueled research vessel

The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the engines for a new LNG-fueled research vessel “Atair”, being built for the German government.

Wärtsilä will also supply exhaust cleaning systems based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology and the LNGPac system for complete fuel gas handling.

The SCR technology will be needed when the engines are running on conventional marine diesel fuel if the vessel exhausts its supply of LNG on long voyages, Wärtsila said on Tuesday.

The vessel is under construction at the Fassmer shipyard in Germany and will be owned by Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency.

The new 75 metres long ship will replace her 30-year-old namesake and will be the first German research vessel operating on LNG fuel.

Wärtsilä will also supply the engines and SCR systems for three German Federal police boats to be built at the Fassmer yard, the statement reads.

The full scope of Wärtsilä’s supply for the ‘Atair’ is two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel engines capable of running on either LNG or conventional liquid fuels, one 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 20 engine, two exhaust cleaning systems, and a Wärtsilä LNGPac fuel storage, supply, and control system.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled to be delivered to the yard in mid-2018, and the vessel will enter service in early 2020.