Wärtsilä to supply methanol dual-fuel engines for Louis Dreyfus Armateurs' newbuilds

Finnish engine maker Wärtsilä will supply methanol dual-fuel engines and fuel supply systems for French maritime transportation company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs' upcoming three roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels.

PHOTO: Model of Wärtsilä's methanol engine. Wärtsilä

The new RoRo vessels will be fitted with dual-fuel Wärtsilä methanol engines that can run on methanol or conventional marine fuels.

The vessels are being built by Chinese shipyard Wuchang Shipbuilding. They will be used to transport plane parts for Airbus, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs said. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2026.

Wärtsilä will also supply associated methanol fuel supply systems and the Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) systems for the vessels. SCR is a technology used to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from exhaust systems.

Each vessel in the series will be fitted with six rotor sails, the company said. A rotor sail is a modernised form of Flettner rotor based on the Magnus effect, which creates air pressure to cause spinning.

Under favourable wind conditions, the rotor sails will enable the vessel's main engine to throttle back and consume less fuel while providing enough power to maintain speed.

The "innovative RoRo ship design" is expected to help reduce CO2 emissions from its operations, the shipping firm added.

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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