WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL

issue no.
Twentyfour7.

01
20
2011
011
011

TORY
COVER S

SI G N 0 4
ENER
EN ERGY
G

14 Gas engines DE ture page

Thee Wä
Th W rt
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silä
silä 118V
8V
8V50
V50
5 SG
S - a wororth
tth
hy f o r th e f u
comp
compet
mp etit
etitor
ito to ga
or gass tu
turb
rbin
in
ne te
tech
ch
hnoolo
logy
gy
gy

25 Controlling NOx
emissions
Integrat
Integr ated
ed SCR R sol o utions
forr HFFO appl
fo plic
icat
attioonss

M RINE
MA

31 IMO Tier III

Operatin
Op
O erating
ingg pr
profi
ofile le ssho
h uulld
dete
determ
rmininee fu
fuel
el ccho
hoicicee an
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propulsion concept

52 Treating
ballast water
Innovati tive
vee new mettho h d
is ssaf
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[ WWW.WARTSILA.COM ]
Æ indetail
The problem of critical
components becoming
obsolete within as little as
five years requires good
proactive measures.
(More on page 21)
Contents
ENERGY
New power plant design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04
Lifecycle cost knowledge, part II . . . . . . . . . 09
The world’s largest gas engine . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Obsolescence management services . . . . . 21
SCR technology development . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
MARINE
Meeting IMO Tier III rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Wärtsilä control &
communication center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Handy size LNG cruise ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Safeguarding biological diversity . . . . . . . . . 52
First order for Wärtsilä SOX scrubber . . . . . . 56
THIS ISSUE OF IN DETAIL is also available
iPad in an iPad version in Wärtsilä iPublication
application via the Apple Appstore.
Publisher: Wärtsilä Corporation, John Stenbergin ranta 2, P.O.
Box 196, FIN-00531 Helsinki, Finland | Editor-in-Chief: Marit
Holmlund-Sund | Managing Editor and Editorial Office:
Minna Timo | English editing: Tom Crockford, Crockford
Communications | Editorial team: Kärt Aavik, Stephane
Debiastre, Niklas Haga, Marit Holmlund-Sund, Tom Kreutzman,
Dan Pettersson, Marialuisa Viani, Virva Äimälä | Layout and
production: Otavamedia Ltd., Kynämies, Helsinki, Finland |
Printed: May 2011 by PunaMusta, Joensuu, Finland ISSN
1797-0032 | Copyright © 2011 Wärtsilä Corporation |
Paper: cover Lumiart Silk 250 g/m², inside pages Berga Classic
115 g/m²
E-mail and feedback: indetail@wartsila.com
2 in detail
issue no. 01.2011
Dear Reader
WE ARE PROUD to present a new edition of In Detail.
In this issue of the magazine we introduce some of the
ongoing initiatives from each of our business areas.
ALL OF OUR initiatives are based on the fact that
we are committed to getting the most out of our
solutions and technologies. When we look at oil
prices reaching, and even exceeding 100 USD/barrel,
and knowing that fuel costs in many cases represent
around 60% of our customers’ operational costs, the
relevance of our solutions becomes crystal clear.
AND, MOREOVER, we have a unique combination of
innovations to offer. By introducing more efficient
solutions to the market, we significantly lower the cost
per ton/mile, per container/mile, or per kW hour for our
customers. At the same time, greater efficiency also results
in improved environmental performance, from which we
all benefit. For me, it is truly motivating knowing that we
are contributing in both dimensions with our solutions.
IN ADDITION to energy efficiency and environmental
sustainability, through our multi-fuel strategy we have
secured flexibility in our customers operations. Over the
course of the years, this fuel flexibility has resulted in
breakthrough developments in several segments, first in
power plants, then in LNG-carriers, and more recently
in a number of other marine segments as well. One
recent example is that of floating production, storage
and offloading (FPSO) owners opting for our dual-
fuel technologies instead of traditional gas turbines!
TO STRIVE towards the best solutions for our customers
is not only about fuel and technologies, but also how we
achieve the best CAPEX (capital expenditure) solutions,
through intelligent overall design, seamless integration, and
optimized control of all relevant systems influencing overall
performance, be it onboard a ship, an FPSO, or an onshore
power plant. And equally important, how can we ensure
the best overall OPEX (operating expenditure) performance?
We know we already have a very large influence on the
TCO (total cost of ownership) for our customers. Expect us
to come up with even stronger ideas, proposals, and value
propositions regarding TCO during the months to come.
For it is only by putting our strong performance into a
lifecycle perspective, that wee
can become recognised as
the most valuable business
partner to our customers.
I HOPE you will find
this issue of In Detail
to be eye-opening!
Arne Birkeland
Vice President &
Head of Marine Lifecycle
Solutions.
Contributing Editor
for this issue of In Detail.
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL | WWW.WARTSILA.COM

NEW LNG CRUISING CONCEPT

Wärtsilä's concept for a cruise ship running on LNG
offers savings in costs and emissions. PAGE 44
REFERENCES

More gas power Cutting emissions First order

The Aksa Samsun power
plant in Turkey is the first
to be powered by the new
Wärtsilä 50SG, the world's
largest four-stroke gas
engine.
The Wärtsilä HFO power Wärtsilä has signed a
plant in Punaroo, Tahiti commercial marine scrubber
was able to reduce project agreement with
emissions through Containerships Ltd.
integrating the engines
with SCR technology.

MORE ON PAGE 14 MORE ON PAGE 25 MORE ON PAGE 56

in detail 3
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
A U T H O R : N i k l a s W ä g a r, G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, E l e c t r i c a l a n d A u t o m a t i o n , Po w e r P l a n t Te c h n o l o g y, W ä r t s i l ä Po w e r P l a n t s
The New Power Plant Design is First impressions are important, even when
a new, clean look being given to all seeing a power plant for the first time.
new Wärtsilä power plants. Apart It gives the customer an insight into the
from appearance, it will also enhance quality of the power plant, and of the
functionality and safety. company that built it.
Knowing that appearance can be
a reflection of reliability and quality,
Wärtsilä is unveiling its New Power Plant
Design concept – the new look for all its
future power plants.
The rationale behind the New Power
Plant Design is to provide a unified,
harmonised design throughout all Wärtsilä
4 in detail
plants, and one that incorporates aspects
of the company’s corporate branding.
At the same time, the new design is
centred around the security and safety
elements that are essential for any plant.
The concept is a groundbreaking
initiative that gets the most out of
integrated form and functionality. The
look and structural solutions, including
the buildings, interior spaces and layouts,
control interfaces and signs, are consistent
throughout the Wärtsilä power plant
concept range.

Attention to detail
The New Power Plant Design supports
Wärtsilä’s approach that its plants provide
a multi-engine smart power generation
alternative. The same harmonised
architectural design will be extended across
all its future installations – from small,
containerised plants, to Oil and Gas Cubes,
and on up to the larger oil and gas power
plants. It will even be employed in power
barges and gas and pump compressor
stations.
The idea for a new-look plant was
hatched during an innovation session that
discussed what the power plant of the
future might look like. One of the aims of
the session was to conceive a power plant
that not only performed well, but that was
also aesthetically attractive.
Two years ago, an external industrial
design company was hired to look at
Wärtsilä’s current building structures. This
survey covered various parts of the power
plant exterior, such as the engine hall, as
well as the control room. Based on this
draft, a detailed concept was made by
Wärtsilä and the external design company
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
in close co-operation with Power Plant
Technology and Civil Engineers.
It was widely agreed that any new design
should be easy to achieve, incurring little
or no additional cost to the customer.
It was also important that construction
and delivery time would remain
unaffected by the new cosmetic design.
The focus, therefore, was mainly on
items such as colouring and the look and
design of the signs. Modifications to the
building structures were minimized. Apart
from the signs and control panel, the
engines and engine hall interior remain
largely untouched, retaining the
functionality of good lighting and ample
maintenance space, along with the familiar
Wärtsilä ‘look’.
There were various factors, and key
considerations that influenced the design.
These included the need to ensure an
efficient, modern, powerful, hi-tech,
reliable, professional, safe, and user-friendly
plant, and all were essential elements within
the design process. Wärtsilä’s product Fig. 1 – The grey colour palette with
identity was also part of the input to a dash of Wärtsilä orange is used in
the industrial design team. the new design.
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 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
The New Power Plant Design provides
a clean, functional design that pays close
attention to details, such as presenting
information in a clear and consistent
way, throughout the entire power plant.
The local setting is also taken into
account, so that the plant architecture and
colour harmonises with its environment.
Certain parts of the construction are
diminished to reduce visual impact.
The plant exterior is grey to give a stylish,
futuristic impression. The Wärtsilä orange
is used on certain parts of the exterior,
as well as on all signs (Figure 1).
Control room
The appearance of a power plant is
particularly important in developing
countries, where the look of the plant’s
exterior and surroundings are often strongly
emphasised. In all countries, the control
room is seen as being very important, as it
is in some ways the ‘business card’ of
the plant.
Whether it is because of appearance,
or simply that it has an air-conditioned,
Fig. 2 – The control room represents the largest visible change inside the power plant building. Special attention has been paid
to user-friendliness, ergonomics and overall comfort covering factors such as noise, air quality, and optical reflections.
6 in detail
low noise environment, the control room
is the part of the plant that is always
displayed during any tour by external
visitors. The control room, therefore,
represents the largest visible change
inside the power plant building.
The re-design of the control room has,
however, been more than purely cosmetic.
With plant operators manning the area
around the clock, this is an important
area of design. Wärtsilä has strived to
deliver an attractive design that also offers
ergonomic benefits, and that is more
operator-friendly. Special attention has
been paid to overall comfort factors, such
as noise, air quality and optical reflections.
Equipment and fixtures are comprised
of modular components. For example,
semi-circle desks are used so that extra
seats can easily be added to accommodate
any number of personnel. Tables have a
fixed height suitable for 97.5 per cent of
all people. A seat cushion or floor support
will provide a comfortable operating
position for the remaining 2.5 per cent
of people below the design height.

Fig. 3 – The upper menu of the graphical user interface, WOIS.
The control room also includes a meeting
area for visitors.
The graphical user interface, WOIS, the
Wärtsilä Operator’s Interface, has also been
improved for greater clarity and ease-of-use
(Figure 3). Operation of the human
machine interface is also optimized so that
click-through and mouse movement, for
example, are minimized for faster reaction
in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The user interface software design is now
common for all services and operational
programmes. The new interface gives
a good overview of every parameter,
including the ongoing processes, potential
alarms and reports. The control panels
follow the same logic, and the coherent
graphic design makes them easier to use.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
Numbering the generating sets
One notable advantage of Wärtsilä’s smart
power generation systems is their cascaded
configuration, whereby multiple engines
allow operators to provide fast, flexible
power for applications such as
‘wind-firming’.
This multi-engine perspective is
highlighted in the New Power Plant Design
through clear numbering of the generating
sets in the engine hall, control panels and
user interfaces. Clear, coherent signs make
orientation easy, and are an added safety
measure inside the engine halls.
In fact, all signs are clearer, and much
more coherent, throughout the plant.
For example, doors are clearly marked, and
there is an information sign at the plant
entrance area providing information
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 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]

and a map of the entire site (Figure 4).

To simplify daily operations and
improve safety, an active colour system
with clear signs has been utilized. Colours
have been selected according to perception,
and signs are systematically arranged in
alphabetical and/or numerical order for
easy reference. They are unmistakable and
strategically placed in order to be clearly Fig. 4 – The information sign at the plant entrance.
visible from different angles and distances.
Controls are colour coded in a systematic
manner, contain fewer meters, and are
logically numbered according to the
appropriate generating set. Easy-access
emergency stop buttons provide improved
safety.

Reflecting excellence
From an engineering point of view, the
changes are not significant. However, this
initiative demonstrates how industrial
design can be part of the R&D and
engineering processes, and that good
architectural design offers benefits with
minimal or no cost impact.
Having this first harmonised design will
make future developments in plant design
easier, since it will be part of the thought
process for the entire Wärtsilä team – from
R&D engineers to sales and marketing.
The New Power Plant Design is now
implemented in all civil architectural
drawings and is ready for delivery. The
first plant to feature the New Power
Plant Design architecture will be the
Suape II power plant currently under
construction in Brazil, where the
new eye-catching design will herald
the shape of things to come.

8 in detail

A U T H O R : A n d r e a s B a c k , M a n a g e r, W ä r t s i l ä D e v e l o p m e n t a n d F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s
In the previous issue of In Detail
(02/2010) we looked at the impact of
ambient and operational conditions
on power plant lifecycle performance
and costs. Here we try to establish
a format to compare Wärtsilä’s
eTM concept to combined
Flexicycle
cycle gas turbines.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
As concluded in the In Detail 02/2010
article, understanding how lifecycle
costs (LCC) should be calculated and
incorporated into the decision making
process is vital for power plant investments.
Through a simple example case we saw
that by adding ambient conditions, like
temperature and altitude, together with
ageing, and some corrections for starts and
stops, part load operation, and equivalent
operating hours, the original LCC gap
between the Wärtsilä reciprocating engine
and the gas turbine solution vanished
(Figure 1). Starting from a discounted
difference of EUR 48 million in favour of
the combined cycle gas turbine solution
(CCGT), we ended up with a
EUR 19 million gap in favour of
the Wärtsilä simple cycle concept.
Comparing a simple cycle (SC) power
plant to a combined cycle (CC) plant
might not be the optimal starting point
in all cases. As a CC requires additional
equipment, more space and the availability
of water, while at the same time offering
generally higher base load efficiency, the
two concepts are not necessarily competing
against each other from the customer’s
point of view. Furthermore, industrial
gas turbines are not even intended for use
in SC mode, as a lot of potential power
is intrinsic within the high exhaust gas
temperature. This means, therefore, that a
lot of economic gains are to be had
in detail 9
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
through optimally capturing the exhaust
gas heat content. Reciprocating engine
based combined cycle plants are not
able to recover as much power from
their lower exhaust gas temperature,
but do nevertheless, offer additional
beneficial features due to the high
simple cycle efficiency and flexibility.
That the combined cycle concept is
tightly associated with gas turbines is
easy to conclude simply by searching
the web. Google gives 267,000 hits
searching for “combined cycle” and “gas
turbine”, whereas “combined cycle”
and “reciprocating engine” give 17,500
hits. The combination of two or more
thermodynamic cycles gives the best results
in improved overall efficiency and reduced
fuel costs for gas turbines. This is because
in SC mode, they are far less efficient than
engines and therefore release more waste
energy through exhaust gases. Indeed, the
general perception is that a CC power
plant is in unison with a CCGT, a general
understanding that is slowly changing as
engine based CC solutions become more
and more competitive. To illustrate this
competitiveness, Wärtsilä has introduced
a new concept, the Flexicycle. As the
second cycle is combined with a highly
efficient first cycle, the efficiency remains
at a very competitive level at any given
point with the Flexicycle concept. Under
applicable ISO conditions, assuming
Fig. 1 – Summarized effects of lifecycle cost adjustments.
Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step
480
460
440
420
MEUR
400
380
360
340
320
300
ISO 80% load Ambient Ageing Compensating Additional
conditions electricity from investment
market for lost
output
10 in detail
allowed tolerances, the plant would ramp
up to 48% efficiency in 10 minutes in SC
mode, and then reach more than 53%
gross efficiency after an additional 50
minutes in CC mode. If minimal output
is required, the CC mode can be switched
off on the run, moving to a SC mode with
even further engine load reductions, while
still maintaining the same 48% efficiency.
For a CCGT, the same change could
lead to a drop of over 20% in efficiency.
Actions like these will impact the LCC,
and in this article we will examine the
lifecycle performance of a Wärtsilä
Flexicycle solution to a CCGT in order
to assess their true costs to the owner.
Comparison
Some contemporary CCGTs can reach
and exceed 60% efficiency under gross
ISO conditions with allowed tolerances,
while most of them are quoted in the 55-
60% range. Modern combined cycle gas
engine (CCGE) plants, again, perform
at efficiencies of 50-55% according to
brochure data. In base load operation
with market price fuel, high efficiency
is extremely important, and there is
undoubtedly an advantage in favour of the
CCGT if one would blindly trust these
numbers and not take real life factors
into consideration when calculating the
LCC. In the following example we will
put the two alternatives side by side, and
Wärtsilä
CCGT
O&M cost Total
due to
operations

introduce certain scenarios in order to
simulate actual working circumstances.
As concluded in the previous article,
the LCC of a power generation facility
incorporate all foreseen costs associated
with the acquisition and the long-term
ownership of the asset over its entire life.
Capital expenditure includes the up-
front investment cost, including but
not limited to material assets, working
capital, softcosts, and financing costs.
The main operating cost items are
fuel, variable costs, and fixed fees.
Just as in the previous comparison,
we shall focus on the main components
of a gas power plant’s LCC:
O Fuel
O Investment cost
O Operation and maintenance.
The following parameters are
used in the simulations:
O Net output demand: 250 MWe
O Gas cost: 6.5 USD/MMBtu
O Annual operating hours: 6000
O Lifetime: 20 years
O Fixed costs: EUR 200,000/month
O WACC: 12%
O USD/EUR FX rate: 1.4.
For this base load comparison we are
calculating the LCC for a Wärtsilä
50SG Flexicycle plant and a CCGT.
The commercial and technical data for
Table 1 – Technology specific assumptions.
EPC cost
Total investment cost (incl. IDC)
Construction time
Gross efficiency (respective ISO)
Variable fee
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
the CCGT is derived from GT Pro1.
The efficiency figure for both
alternatives includes tolerance, so in
order for the customer to assess the net
ISO performance, that number has
to be adjusted. For our selected plants
we find that the total discounted LCC
(comprising fuel, O&M and WACC) of
the CCGT power plant at a net efficiency
of 54.1% is EUR 552 million, whereas
for the Wärtsilä Flexicycle solution
at 50.2%, it is EUR 609 million, a
difference of EUR 57 million in favour
of the CCGT. The impact of the fuel
component is in its own league, and at
60–70% of the total LCC, is by far the
single largest cost item for the owner.
Gas compression
Depending on the natural gas pressure in
the pipe, additional compression might
be needed for the gas turbine solution.
Engines, on the other hand, are able to
operate on very low pressure gas. For
compression purposes, the owner of a
CCGT plant must therefore invest in
a compressor, which adds to the capital
expenditure and leads to higher fuel
consumption. In our scenario, we assume
that the gas pressure must be increased by
1
10 bars, hence an additional investment GT Pro is a global tool, widely used by
consultants, for configuring combined
of EUR 5 million is required, and the cycle gas turbine plants. It contains both
LCC goes up to EUR 560 million. commercial data as well as turbine specific
technical parameters.
Wärtsilä assumptions (*) CCGT assumptions (*)
(*) 13 x Wärtsilä 50SG + ST (*) based on a 2 x 2 x 1 configuration
582 EUR/kW 508 EUR/kW
147 MEUR 130 MEUR
24 months 24 months
51.0% 55.3%
4 EUR/MWh 3 EUR/MWh
in detail 11
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Table 2 – Technology specific assumptions.
CCGT
Net efficiency 50.2% 54.1%
Original values
Net output 257 MW 256 MW
Net efficiency 49.1% 52.3%
Revised values
Net output 253 MW 212 MW
Impact of ambient
temperature and altitude
The physical location of the plant and
the ambient air pressure will impact the
performance of the plant, regardless of
the technology on which it is based. If
we change the ambient conditions from
ISO standards (15°C at sea level) to a site
temperature of 30°C, with 40% relative
humidity at 500 m altitude, the net output
for the CCGT decreases by 34 MW, W from
254 MW to 220 MW, and the equivalent
LCC at the de-rated output increases by
EUR 3 million. For the Flexicycle, ambient
conditions and altitude has an impact
on output of 4 MW,W down to 253 MW
from 257 MW, and the same resulting
EUR 3 million in increased LCC.
Impact of ageing
Time does treat the two alternatives
somewhat differently. As seen in the
previous article, both the heat rate and
output of a gas turbine power plant are
hit as time elapses, whereas the Wärtsilä
plant, also in Flexicycle mode, remains
more robust over a longer period of time.
Adjusting the lifecycle heat rate and
output with the same factors as in the first
comparison (heat rate + 2% and output -
3.5%) for the CCGT, and + 0.5% on the
heat rate for the Flexicycle, we find that
12 in detail
our average net efficiency for the CCGT
now stands at 52.3 %, and the net output
at 212 MW. The corresponding values for
the Flexicycle are 49.1% and 253 MW.
Intermediate analyses
At this stage, the power plant investor
should look at the revised figures for
the planned performance of the plant.
As the aim here is to achieve a net output
of 250 MW at full load with as high
as possible efficiency, it is worthwhile
comparing the revised values to the original
brochure data.
Under these given conditions, the
output of the CCGT has gone down by
some 20%. As this is not acceptable to
the owner due to the net output demand,
another turbine that performs according
to expectations must be chosen. Assuming
that the price/kW is constant for the
various CCGT options of this size, and
that different turbine types react to time
and ambient conditions in a similar manner,
we can choose a different configuration
for the CCGT in order to bring the net
output to the same 253 MW level as the
Flexicycle. This leads to an additional
investment of EUR 24 million.
Load correction
Now we have two options that can be
compared, a Flexicycle rated at 49.1%
lifetime efficiency and a net output of
253 MW, W and a CCGT at 52.3% and
253 MW. However, as in the previous
comparison, we need to adjust the
plant load from the 100% level that the
ISO numbers are based on, to a more
realistic level of 80%. The CCGT loses
an estimated 2.3% efficiencyy if the gas
turbines are run at 75% part load (as the
steam turbine is more efficient, the load
on the gas turbines must be lower to reach
a plant load factor of 80%), whereas the
Flexicycle is not impacted at all since the
engines can be switched off one by one
instead of running at part load. Our new
LCC basis is therefore EUR 524 million
for the CCGT solution and EUR 532
million for the Flexicycle, a difference of
EUR 8 million in favour of the CCGT.
Dispatch profile
Dispatching 6000 hours flat out at
80% load and then having 2760 hours
downtime is not a realistic running profile.
Even though CC plants are optimized
for continuous operation, we should

still incorporate a likely number of starts
and stops per annum, which could be
100 times/year, or twice a week. For the
CCGT, this will lead to an increase in
equivalent operating hours (EOH). In this
case, it is calculated to add one Euro to the
O&M bill, bringing this component up
from 3 EUR/MWh to 4 EUR/MWh.
This change adds an additional
EUR 9 million to the lifecycle cost for
the CCGT. Frequent starts and stops
are not an issue for the Flexicycle, and
therefore the impact on the LCC is 0.
Compensating cost
During a start up hour, over 90% of
full power is reached in SC mode for
the Flexicycle, and the corresponding
production during start up is 179 MW
out of the required 200 MW at 43%
average efficiency. Conversely, with
the CCGT plant, due to the higher
dependence on the second cycle, start up
performance is substantially worse, with
120 MW W being produced at an average
efficiency of 30%. Assuming that the
owner needs to compensate for the lost
production at a market price of 100 EUR/
MWh, the additional NPV impact on the
LCC is EUR 6 million for the CCGT
and EUR 2 million for the Flexicycle.
Fig. 2 – Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step.
625
602
585
MEUR
565
545
525
ISO
Compressor
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
CONCLUSION
In the previous article we found the
CCGT to have a higher lifecycle cost
than an SC Wärtsilä solution. The
primary reason was the superior, and
highly efficient, load following dynamics
that the simple cycle Wärtsilä solution
possesses. In this article we have studied
two combined cycle solutions – one based
on gas turbines with high efficiency but
with sensitive operational behaviour, and
a CCGE - the Wärtsilä Flexicycle - that
is slightly less efficient under optimal
conditions, but very solid regardless of
operational profile or ambient conditions.
At the end of the day, the 4% units of
higher efficiency and the EUR 17 million
in lower investment costs initially quoted
for the gas turbine solution generated an
LCC of EUR 541 million, compared
to EUR 534 million for the Wärtsilä
Flexicycle, an advantage of EUR 7 million
in net present value for the Flexicycle.
If this analysis would have included
other factors, such as water consumption
and load following, or elements that are
economically harder to quantify, such as
fuel flexibility and plant output availability,
the economical and operational advantages
of the Flexicycle solution would have
looked even more appreciable.
Flexicycle
CCGT
Ambient
conditions
Ageing
Additional
investment for
lost output
80% load
O&M cost due
to operations
Compensating
electricity from
market
Total
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 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]

A U T H O R : M i k a e l W i d e s k o g , G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, G a s P l a n t s , Po w e r P l a n t Te c n o l o g y , W ä r t s i l ä Po w e r P l a n t s

14 in detail
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Wärtsilä has introduced the largest gas engine on the market. Based on the well-proven
technology of the Wärtsilä 34SG and 50DF engines, the Wärtsilä 18V50SG has an
output of 18 MW and offers an alternative to gas turbines for large power plants.

Power plants based on multiple engines
have many advantages. For example,
since operators need run only as many
engines as are required, they offer flexible
power output with high plant efficiency.
Operators can also carry out maintenance
without shutting down the entire plant.
But as plant sizes increase increase, there
is a need for units with higher output.
The most engines that Wärtsilä has installed
to-date in a single plant, is the 28 Wärtsilä
34SG units for a 270 MW power plant
in Turkey. This seems to be the point
at which operators tend to opt for gas
turbines due to their larger unit size.
With the introduction of its latest gas
engine Wärtsilä can now offer a product
directly competing with the gas turbine
technology. By doubling the output of the
Wärtsilä 34SG, the new Wärtsilä 50SG
gas engine once again makes combustion
engines an attractive alternative to
gas turbines for large power plants.
Design and development
The Wärtsilä 50SG is a four-stroke, spark-
ignited gas engine that works according
to the Otto principle and the lean-
burn process. The engine runs at 500 or
514 rpm for 50 or 60 Hz applications,
and produces 18,810 and 19,260 kW
of mechanical power respectively.
This represents maximum electrical
power outputs of 18.32 MW and
18.76 MW respectively, at which the
Wärtsilä 50SG has an efficiency of 48.6
percent at the generator terminals –
2.3 percentage points higher than the
smaller Wärtsilä 34SG. This is a big step,
since typically product improvements
result in efficiency improvements
of around 0.5 percent per year.
The Wärtsilä 18V50SG is based on
the same design principles as the well-
proven technology used in the Wärtsilä
34SG and Wärtsilä 50DF engines.
As the engine was based on existing
technology, its development was very
quickly implemented. Development
started in 2008, and the first 6-cylinder
laboratory engine was built in 2009.
Assembly of the first customer engine
began the following year and its
testing was completed at the Trieste
facility by the end of 2010.
The engine frame is based on the
Wärtsilä 18V50DF dual-fuel engine,
with the same advanced integrated
lube oil and cooling water channels.
The combustion system is based on

Table 1 – The output of the Wärtsilä 50SG engine. Table 2 – Dimensions and weights of the
Wärtsilä 50SG generating set.

50 Hz/500 rpm 18V50SG

Lenght mm 18 800

Power, electrical kW 18 321

Heat rate kJ/kWh 7411 Width mm 5330

Electrical efficiency % 48.6

Height mm 6340
60 Hz/514 rpm 18V50SG

Power, electrical kW 18 759 Weight tonne 360

Heat rate kJ/kWh 7411

Electrical efficiency % 48.6

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 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
the Wärtsilä 34SG, but has a larger
bore size to maximize the power
potential of the engine block.
Increasing the bore size from 340 mm
to 500 mm on a spark-ignited engine was
a key area of technology development.
In a modern gas engine, lean-burn
technology is a necessity in achieving
low emission levels without external
exhaust gas after-treatment. In lean-burn
technology, the charge in the cylinder
has far more air than is actually needed
for complete combustion of the gas.
Ignition of the extremely lean fuel
charge is very difficult, and the right
ignition technology is needed to provide
a high-energy ignition source.
The choice of ignition technology
most suited for a pure gas engine with
a large bore was discussed extensively
at the beginning of the project.
Spark ignition with a pre-chamber,
also known as SG technology, is used
on existing pure gas engines. However,
the consequences on performance
when scaling the technology to a
bore of 500 mm were unknown.
An alternative option of using a micro
pilot liquid fuel ignition through a pre-
chamber was also proposed. This was
16 in detail
a new technology for Wärtsilä, and
thus required more design and research
work. Furthermore, its performance
and possible consequential benefits
were also unknown for this bore size.
Both concepts were tested and found
to perform equally well. Based on
proven reliability and lower cost, it was
decided to opt for the spark ignition
with pre-chamber technology.
Pre-chamber
The pre-chamber is the ignition
source for the main fuel charge, and
is an essential component of a lean-
burn spark-ignited gas engine.
It should be as small as possible to
deliver low NO OX values, but big enough
for rapid and reliable combustion.
Extensive calculations and simulations
had to be performed to scale-up the
size and shape of the combustion
pre-chamber in order to ensure
the best combustion process.
In addition to the size and shape
of the pre-chambers, some of the key
design parameters considered were: the
mixing of air and fuel; gas velocities
and turbulence at the spark plug;
cooling of pre-chamber and spark

plug; and the selection of material.
Advanced three-dimensional,
computerised fluid dynamics were
used during design to deliver:
O Reliable and powerful ignition
O High combustion efficiency
and stability
O Extended spark plug life
O Very low NO OX levels.
The engines use a ported gas admission
system, whereby gas is admitted
to the pre-chamber through a
mechanical, hydraulic-driven valve.
The gas admission valves are
located immediately upstream,
and are electronically actuated
and controlled to feed the correct
amount of gas to each cylinder.
Since the gas valve is timed
independently of the inlet valve, the
cylinder can be scavenged without
risk of the gas escaping from the
inlet directly to the exhaust.
Various parameters, such as engine
load, speed, and cylinder exhaust
temperatures, are monitored and used
as input to the Engine Control System
(ECS). The ECS is Wärtsilä’s latest
UNIC (Unified Controls) C3 system,
which controls the entire engine.
This solution has proved to be
extremely reliable and it results in an
excellent mixture in the pre-chamber.
Ignition system
The Wärtsilä 50SG ignition system has
been specifically designed for the new
engine and is closely integrated with the
ECS. The ignition module communicates
with the main control module, which then
determines the global ignition timing.
The ignition module controls the
cylinder-specific ignition timing based
on the combustion quality. The cylinder-
specific control ensures optimum
combustion in every cylinder with
respect to reliability and efficiency.
The ignition coil is located in the
cylinder cover and is integrated into the
spark plug extension. The coil-on-plug
design minimizes the number of joints
between the spark plug and the ignition
coil, and thus increases reliability.
The spark plug has been specially
developed for long life, and to withstand
the high cylinder pressure and temperature
resulting from the high engine output.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
Engine frame
The engine frame is based on the
proven design of the Wärtsilä 50DF,
and the block is made from cast
iron. The engine has an under slung
crankshaft, which imparts high stiffness
to the engine block and provides
excellent conditions for maintenance.
The engine block has large crankcase
doors to enable easy maintenance.
Cooling system
The Wärtsilä 50SG is designed with a
Wärtsilä open interface cooling system
for optimal cooling and heat recovery.
The system has four cooling circuits: the
cylinder cooling circuit (jacket), the low
temperature charge air (LTCA) and high
temperature (HTCA) cooling circuits,
and the circuit for the lube oil cooler
(LO) built onto the auxiliary module.
The LTCA cooling circuit and jacket
cooling circuit have water pumps
integrated within the cover module at
the free end of the engine coolers, and
the temperature of the water exiting
the jacket cooling circuit is controlled
by external thermostatic valves.
The default cooling system is a single-
circuit radiator unit whereby the cooling
circuits on the engine are connected in
series. For heat recovery applications,
each cooler can be individually connected
to an external cooling system.
Lubricating oil system
The engine has an engine-driven
lubricating oil pump and is provided with
a wet sump oil system. Before entering the
engine, the oil passes through a full-flow
automatic back flushing filter. A duplex
cartridge filter is installed in the back
flushing line, and both filters are equipped
with differential pressure switches.
A separate pre-lubricating system is used
before the engine is started to avoid
engine wear.
Pistons
The pistons are of the low-friction,
composite type, with a forged steel top
and nodular cast iron skirt. Their long
life is ensured through the use of a skirt-
lubrication system, a piston crown with
shaker-cooling, hardened piston ring
grooves, and low-friction piston rings.
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 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Piston ring set
The two compression rings and the oil
control ring are located in the piston
crown. This three-ring concept has
proven its efficiency in all Wärtsilä
engines. Most of the frictional loss from
a combustion engine originates from
the piston rings. A three-ring pack has
proven to be the optimal solution, offering
both function and efficiency. In a three-
pack, each ring is dimensioned and
profiled for the task it must perform.
Cylinder head
The engine uses four-screw cylinder head
technology. At high cylinder pressures
this technology has proven to be superior,
especially when liner roundness and
dynamic behaviour are considered. In
addition to easier maintenance and
reliability, it provides the freedom to
employ the most efficient air inlet and
exhaust outlet channel port configurations.
A distributed water flow pattern is used
for proper cooling of the exhaust valves,
the cylinder head flame plate, and the
pre-chamber. This minimizes thermal
stress and guarantees a sufficiently low
exhaust valve temperature. Both inlet and
exhaust valves are fitted with rotators for
even thermal and mechanical loading.
Cylinder liner and anti-polishing ring
The cylinder liner features an anti-
polishing ring, which reduces lube oil
consumption and wear. The bore-cooled
collar design of the liner ensures minimum
deformation and efficient cooling. Each
cylinder liner has two temperature
sensors for continuous monitoring of
piston and cylinder liner behaviour.
Connecting rod and big-end bearings
The connecting rod is designed for optimal
bearing performance. It features a three-
piece design, in which combustion forces
are distributed over a maximum bearing
area, and relative movements between
mating surfaces are minimized. The design
also allows the compression ratio to be
varied to suit gases with different knocking
resistance. The three-piece design reduces
the height required for piston overhauling.
Piston overhaul is possible without
touching the big-end bearing, and the
big-end bearing itself can be inspected
without removing the piston. The big-end
bearing housing is hydraulically tightened,
resulting in a distortion-free bore for the
18 in detail
corrosion-resistant precision bearing.
Crankshaft and bearings
The crank gear has to be able to operate
reliably at high cylinder pressures. The
crankshaft must be robust and the
specific bearing loads maintained at
acceptable levels. This is achieved by
careful optimization of the crank throw
dimensions and fillets. The specific bearing
loads are conservative and the cylinder
spacing, which is important for the overall
length of the engine, is minimized. In
addition to low bearing loads, the other
crucial factor for safe bearing operation is
oil film thickness. Ample oil film thickness
in the main bearings is ensured by optimal
balancing of the rotational masses, and
in the big-end bearing by un-grooved
bearing surfaces in the critical areas.
Turbo charging system
The Wärtsilä 50SG is equipped with
a single pipe exhaust turbo charging
system designed for minimum flow
losses on both the exhaust and air sides.
The interface between the engine and
turbocharger is streamlined, The engine
uses high-efficiency turbochargers,
with the engine lubricating oil also
being used for the turbocharger.
Automation
All engine functions are controlled by
the UNIC C3 engine control system,
a microprocessor-based distributed
control system mounted on the engine.
The various electronic modules are
dedicated and optimized for specific
functions, and they communicate
with each other via a CAN databus.
Cylinder pressure control
Each cylinder is equipped with a
pressure sensor. The cylinders can be
individually set to run at their optimum
point to achieve the highest engine
power and efficiency. This also applies if
operating conditions change, as in the
case of varying methane numbers and
ambient temperatures. Additionally,
this means that the engine can be run
with increased safety and reliability.
Cylinder pressure measurements provide
significantly improved engine control.
From the signal emitted by the pressure
sensors, UNIC can instantaneously
determine the rate of heat release, the
magnitude and location of peak pressures

and the knock severity. The sensors can
also be used to determine the indicated
mean effective pressure, which is essentially
a measure of the power developed in
each cylinder. The sensor is designed to
withstand high cylinder temperatures
and pressures – up to 300°C and 300
bar. The maintenance interval of the
sensor equals that for the cylinder head
overhaul, i.e. around 16,000 hours. The
location of the pressure sensor is also
important. The measuring membrane
of each sensor is flush-mounted in
the combustion chamber, to ensure
measurement of correct and reliable data.
Main control module
The core of the engine control system
is the main control module. This is
responsible for ensuring the engine’s
reliable operation and for keeping the
engine at optimum performance in all
operating conditions, including varying
ambient temperatures and fluctuating
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
gas quality. The main control module
reads the information sent by all the
other modules. Using this information, it
adjusts the engine’s speed and load control
by determining reference values for the
main gas admission, air-fuel ratio, and
ignition timing. The main control module
automatically controls the start and stop
sequences of the engine and the safety
system. The module also communicates
with the plant control system.
Cylinder control module
Each cylinder control module monitors
and controls three cylinders. The cylinder
control module controls the cylinder-
specific air-fuel ratio by individually
adjusting the gas admission for each
cylinder. The cylinder control module
measures the knock intensity, i.e.
uncontrolled combustion in the cylinder,
which is used to control the cylinder-
specific ignition timing and gas admission.
Monitoring modules
Monitoring modules are located close
to groups of sensors, which reduces the
amount of cabling on the engine. The
monitored signals are transmitted to the
main control module, and are used for
the engine control and safety systems.
The monitored values are also transferred
to the Wärtsilä Operators Interface System
(WOIS) on the plant automation system.
Customer benefits
In addition to higher efficiency and
increased power output, another key
benefit of the Wärtsilä 50SG, as with all
Wärtsilä engines, is its ability to run up
and down in load without affecting the
maintenance schedule. This is useful for
peak applications, or in markets where
there is a significant amount of wind
power on the grid – it can reach full
power in 10 minutes in the event of a
sudden drop in wind capacity. The engines
can also be stopped in one minute and
reloaded in just five minutes, something
that is not possible with gas turbines.
Compared to gas turbines, the
performance of the engine is also less
sensitive to ambient conditions. There
is little drop-off in efficiency or power
output at higher ambient temperatures.
Already customers are keen to take
advantage of this new engine. The first
has been installed at the Aksa Samsun
power plant in Turkey, and will serve
as a pilot engine, allowing Wärtsilä to
continue its field testing. At the beginning
of March, an order was also placed by
Odas Elektrik Uretim, an independent
power producer, for the installation of
seven engines at its new plant at Urfa in
southeastern Turkey. Upon completion in
autumn 2011, the plant will supply 135
MW of electricity to the national grid.
The new Wärtsilä 18V50SG spark-
ignited gas engine has been developed
in response to the increasing market
need for larger gas engines to run power
plants with outputs of up to the 500
MW range. It meets current and future
requirements for overall cost of ownership,
with very high simple and combined
cycle efficiency. It is also designed for
easy maintenance and many hours
of maintenance-free operation.
in detail 19
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[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]

REFERENCE: SAMSUN, TURKEY

The Aksa Samsun combined cycle plant will be equipped with the first Wärtsilä 18V50SG generating set.

THE NEW WÄRTSILÄ 50SG ENGINE MAKES

ITS DEBUT IN TURKEY
ärtsilä was awarded an engineering and equipment contract relating to the extension
of the Aksa Samsun power plant in Samsun, Turkey.

The Aksa Samsun power plant has been extended to incorporate
the Wärtsilä 18V50SG engine, the latest addition to Wärtsilä’s
gas engine portfolio. This is the very first installation of the
Wärtsilä 18V50SG unit, which features an exceptionally high
power plant efficiency rating of over 50 per cent in combined
cycle mode. In converting the Aksa Samsun facility from HFO
to gas-fired operation, its environmental sustainability is
obviously enhanced. At the same time, the efficiency of the
new Wärtsilä 50SG engine sets a benchmark for the industry.
The scope of supply also includes the controls,
automation and auxiliary equipment related to the fuel
gas, charge air, cooling and exhaust gas systems.
The Aksa Samsun combined cycle plant, owned by AKSA
ENERJI, currently operates using seven Wärtsilä 18V46
engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO), six of which will
be converted to Wärtsilä 18V46GD engines for gas-fired
operation. When the Wärtsilä 18V50SG engine has been
commissioned in 2011, the power plant will have a total
electrical output of approximately 130 MW in combined
cycle mode, which will be fed to the national grid.
Wärtsilä already has a very strong presence in Turkey’s
energy market, and expects to have delivered close to 3 GW
of power generating capacity by the end of 2011. Some 85 per
cent of these power plants will be running on natural gas.

20 in detail

A U T H O R : J o h a n P e n s a r, G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, B u s i n e s s a n d P r o d u c t D e v e l o p m e n t , E l e c t r i c a l & A u t o m a t i o n S e r v i c e s
The lifecycle of common electronics
is getting ever shorter, and today
many electronic components have an
expected life of less than five years.
This may lead to critical automation,
control or navigation systems being
rendered inoperable should
a critical component fail.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
The financial losses, in terms of lost
operation, resulting from the failure of a
simple component, may be quite out of
proportion to its relatively inexpensive
cost. It is, therefore, a clear economic
risk to neglect the actual and potential
problems caused by obsolete electronics.
Unplanned replacements of such obsolete
components may also become somewhat
expensive, since the ad-hoc nature of the
replacements may have unexpected effects
when other components become obsolete.
Another challenge is the fact that it is
also becoming harder to keep track of
which systems are still supported, and to
predict the remaining life-time of systems.
Meanwhile, more components are being
used in an installation, and the warning
time is getting shorter. In practice, it may
be close to impossible for the owner of
an installation to implement efficient
obsolescence management, and to keep
track of even the most critical components
to secure their availability.
This is where Wärtsilä's modular upgrade
solutions, as well as the company's
obsolescence management services, come in
as ways to manage the risks. The modular
upgrade solutions provide a cost-efficient
way to upgrade and modernize the
installation, while Wärtsilä can provide
obsolescence management services for
the complete installation adapted to the
customer needs. With these services and
solutions, the risk for unexpected
component availability problems will be
minimized, and the risk of severe operational
outage due to obsolescence will be reduced.
in detail 21
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[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Modular upgrade solutions
In order to retain high availability of the
installation in a cost-efficient manner,
Wärtsilä has introduced modular upgrade
solutions. The solutions provide a model
for obsolescence driven modernizations
that can be tailored to the owner's
strategic targets. Similarly, the owner is
able to pro-actively budget and plan the
actions needed, avoiding reactive and
urgent fire-fighting. In addition, modular
upgrades also allow the installation to
be gradually modernized to meet new
regulations, increase usability, and ensure
safety. As the modernization packages
for different equipment are planned
to work together, an investment in
modernizing one part of the installation
will automatically make it compatible with
other modernization modules, in line with
a well balanced long-term upgrade plan.
Modularity is not only motivated by the
possibility to plan and spread investments
over time, but is primarily motivated by
the fact that components typically become
obsolete in different cycles. Therefore,
some components may already have
been replaced several times, before other
components are even getting close to
becoming obsolete. Typically, machinery
and primary controls (e.g. engine and
propulsion controls, voltage regulators,
etc) as well as conventional automation
systems (PLCs and DCS controllers) are
supported by the availability of spares for
Fig. 1 – The modular upgrade strategy.
Machinery Automation Computer
controls system systems
5 Obsolete,
Minor upgrade Upgrade
recommended required
10 Minor upgrade Obsolete,
recommended Upgrade
required
Upgrade
recommended
Major upgrade
recommended
15
Obsolete,
Upgrade
Obsolete Obsolete required
22 in detail
at least 15 years from delivery. On the
other hand, systems based on commercial
computers (PCs) have a lifecycle of only
a couple of years, while their operating
systems (e.g. MS Windows) – although
supported for up to ten years – will
require regular updates several times a
year in order to stay secure and stable.
The idea behind modular upgrades is
shown in Figure 1. Here, the lifecycle of
different types of components is indicated
and the dependencies between different
system levels have also been considered.
Typically, machinery controls (engine,
propulsion, generator, etc) may be used
for up to 10 to 15 years without anything
other than normal maintenance and
tuning before needing to be upgraded.
When such a need occurs, Wärtsilä can
upgrade the machinery controls, for
example the engine controls, to meet
the latest technical standards through a
predesigned package that is easy to install
and commission. With this upgrade,
obsolescence is avoided for at least 15 more
years, and the upgraded machinery
controls also meet the latest requirements
in terms of functionality and safety.
A generic automation system, typically
based on PLCs, may require some minor
upgrades after only 5 years, in order to
replace potentially obsolete parts and
to upgrade the functionality to modern
requirements. And within 15 years, a need
for a full replacement of the system becomes
Security
patches
Regular
patching
required

apparent. For these occurrences,
pre-designed replacement packages can
be supplied. Although based on the most
recent developments, these packages are
designed to match the plant in order to
ensure fast installation and commissioning
time with a minimum of interference to
normal operations.
Computers, on the other hand, need
upgrading every 5 years in order to stay safe
and stable. For this purpose, replacement
computers can be pre-configured to match
the installation, while both the hardware
and software are updated to the most
recent standards. This is the most cost
efficient solution, whereby existing software
licences and configurations are re-used,
while at the same time keeping
the equipment fully updated.
One reason to keep computer based
industrial control systems updated is the
increasing cyber security threats. This has
also been noted by authorities, and more
stringent requirements are being placed on
computers in critical applications. Critical
patches and upgrades to the computer
software are required to minimize such risks.
Because uncontrolled patching and
upgrades may actually render the system
inoperable, Wärtsilä is also introducing
a programme whereby necessary upgrades
and patches are pre-tested on supported
computer platforms. This allows them to be
applied at the installation with a minimum
of testing. Through this programme,
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
the installation stays safe and fully
compliant with regulatory requirements.
Finally, the modularity in the
obsolescence management programme
allows the user with an upgraded
computer system to upgrade the PLC
system without needing to further upgrade
the computers. Furthermore, by utilizing
Wärtsilä's obsolescence management
services, the owner can ensure safety
and reliability at reasonable cost.
Obsolescence management
In order to reduce the risks of
obsolescence, an efficient obsolescence
management (OM) system that covers
the total installation needs to be
implemented. A typical obsolescence
management system requires some basic
activities to be in place, most typically
O Information on the existing
installation needs to be collected and
maintained as a source for deciding
whether envisioned obsolescence
risks may affect the installation.
O A system for obsolescence forecasting
needs to be implemented.
Information from suppliers on
potential obsolescence should
be continuously monitored.
O A mitigation plan needs to be put in
place for every component under OM,
wherein possible actions in case of
obsolescence are planned and defined.
O A process for obsolescence resolution
is needed. When obsolescence occurs,
action to mitigate the risks related to
loss of operation or reduced safety
should be ready for implementation.
As these aforementioned activities can be
quite burdensome, it is uncommon that
individual owners implement a working
OM system capable of keeping the risks at
the desired level. This is where Wärtsilä's
obsolescence management services can
help. Through good supplier relations, and
an experienced insight into the obstacles
and pitfalls, Wärtsilä can support owners
with a management service to reduce
the risks arising from obsolescence.
The Wärtsilä obsolescence management
service is not limited to only Wärtsilä
supplied equipment. The owner can define
what critical equipment is to be included
in the OM plan, which then releases
the owner from the burden of OM.
Information management
Any working obsolescence management
system requires information on the type
of equipment installed. The Wärtsilä
obsolescence management service starts,
therefore, with a system of regular
installation audits whereby all information
and documentation on installed systems
and components, as well as their condition,
is collected. Through regular audits, this
information is also kept up-to-date – both
in case of modifications to the systems, and
also to keep track of available spare parts.
These records also document deterioration
of the equipment.
Through this information, it is possible
to identify the status of the installation,
and also to understand the best way of
mitigating the obsolescence risks.
Obsolescence forecasting
As Wärtsilä maintains close contacts with
manufacturers, the company possesses good
insight into the obsolescence status of
main components. As new components are
encountered, new sources of information
are added to the monitoring. With this
information on component availability, an
obsolescence forecasting list is prepared. By
cross referencing this with the installation
information, potential obsolescence
problems for any installation under OM
can be detected. This allows orderly
planning and budgeting of preventive
actions well before the actual obsolescence
occurs.
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[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Mitigation planning
Another critical part of OM is to define
the appropriate obsolescence management
method approach for each critical
component. The approach may,
for example, be:
O Reactive, where no action is needed
before obsolescence occurs.
O Pro-active where, when early
warning signs are received, pro-
active actions are taken in order to
prevent obsolescence problems.
O Strategic, whereby the impact and
complexity of the case is high, and
strategic actions, like system or
component redesign, will be deployed.
This means that the obsolescence approach
may depend on the components, but also
on the renewal strategy of the owner of
the installation. In some cases, planned
modernizations may be chosen, whereas
for other situations a component repair
or minor replacement may suffice.
Additionally, the mitigation methods
for a component may vary depending on
the complexity of the product, the ease
of replacement, and other factors. Typical
mitigation methods might include:
O Partial or full modular upgrades and
modernization solutions whereby
the systems are upgraded to current
design, and where the performance
and usability can be upgraded to
meet modern requirements.
O Last time buying of components, where
a stock of obsolete components secures
availability long after manufacturing of
the component has been discontinued.
O Re-design and re-manufacturing,
where old designs are updated
and the component can
continue to be produced.
O Refurbishment of used components,
including the repair of failed
electronics. Wärtsilä can, through its
own electronics laboratories, refurbish,
repair, and re-manufacture specialized
electronics to keep systems operable.
As the warning time in which to react may
be very short (down to a matter of months
in some cases), it is important that the
method has been evaluated and decided
on beforehand. This is so that the plan can
be put into action immediately
obsolescence occurs.
24 in detail
Fig. 2 – Obsolete PLC system. Fig. 3 – Obsolete AVR.
Obsolescence resolution generating set for removal and installation.
Through continuous monitoring of the Commissioning required a further day or
obsolescence situation, Wärtsilä can two, during which all I/O’s and safeties for
inform the owner of upcoming situations, the generating set were tested and verified.
and suggest the most feasible actions in The HMI system installation and
order to stay operative, even after commissioning took in all, approximately
components become obsolete. Wärtsilä three days of work.
also actively resolves obsolescence problems
through re-design and last time buy CONCLUSION
activities so as to support its customers Wärtsilä has developed effective means for
in the best way. minimizing the risk of severe operational
outages created by the obsolescence of
Case illustration critical components, and their future non-
As a typical example of a modular availability. Its obsolescence management
upgrade, a power plant equipped with services monitor the operation of the entire
four Wärtsilä 32 generating sets that were installation to ensure that it is maintained
commissioned in the mid 1990s, required in accordance with the customer's
an upgrade in order to replace the now requirements. At the same time, modular
obsolete PLC based controls and AVR. upgrade solutions represent a cost-efficient
Upon failure, these could have rendered means of modernizing the installation
the plant inoperable as spares were no to the latest technical standards.
longer available. At the same time, the PC
based HMI system based on Windows
NT required an upgrade to stay secure
and compatible with available hardware.
The modular obsolescence upgrade
was designed utilizing the original plant
design, but was based on recent hardware
and software platforms. This not only
ensured spare part availability, but also
modernized the functionality to the
same level as in modern power plants.
Due to accurate pre-design, the down-
time for the PLC systems was able to be
limited to approximately one day per each
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

A U T H O R S : A r i S u o m i n e n , D i r e c t o r Te c h n o l o g y , W ä r t s i l ä i n S w i t z e r l a n d , P r o d u c t C e n t r e E c o t e c h
L u c a s E s s e l s t r ö m , P r o d u c t E n g i n e e r, W ä r t s i l ä i n F i n l a n d , P r o d u c t C e n t r e E c o t e c h
Anu Solla, Expert - Catalysts, Wärtsilä in Switzerland, Product Centre Ecotech

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)
technology has been used for years
in various applications to reduce
levels of nitrogen oxides (NOX).
However, with the current emphasis
on emissions control, Wärtsilä is
engaged in further developing the
technology.
For many decades, SCR technology has
been used to reduce levels of NO OX from
exhaust gas. Its use with combustion
engines can be said to have started in
the early 1990s, initially for stationary
diesel engine applications mostly. SCR
installations with marine engines, however,
remained at a relatively low level before
the year 2000. In recent years demand has
notably increased in the marine sector,
and the number of deliveries for ship
installations has grown considerably. An
important market area for SCRs during
the last decade has been gas engine based
power plants, especially the bigger ones in
the USA. Here, SCR and oxidation catalyst
systems have been required in order to
reach required single digit emission figures.
During combustion, most of the
nitrogen oxides (NO OX, a generic term
for NO and NO2) are generated in the
high temperature spots by a reaction
between the atmospheric nitrogen
and oxygen. Nitrogen oxides cause
eutrophication, acidification, and the
formation of ozone in the presence
of VOC and sunlight. These NO OX
emissions can be abated by using primary
and/or secondary methods. Primary
methods aim at reducing the formation
of NOOX emissions in the engine using
engine design methods, or additionally
through water injection or exhaust
gas recirculation. The only viable and
proven secondary NO OX emission control
method for engines today is SCR.

in detail 25
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
In the medium-speed engine category,
SCR technology has already largely
demonstrated its capabilities. However,
Wärtsilä believes that there is still both
a need and the potential for further
improvements, both to the SCR catalysts
themselves, and in the system design. The
main focus areas recently have been on
optimizing SCR use with heavy fuel oil,
and on improvements aimed at creating a
compact, cost-efficient, as well as a robust
and reliable design. Attention is also being
given to the gradual need to move the SCR
reactor from downstream of the exhaust
gas turbine, to a pre-turbine location having
pressurised conditions. This is a de facto
situation already for two-stroke marine
engines, but is thought to represent an
increasingly feasible means of attaining
optimally efficient and emissions-compliant
engine packages in the future, as the
development of medium-speed engines
progresses. The extreme conditions involved,
and the limitations in having the SCR
system integrated within the engine,
necessitates further design and development
activities, both for the catalysts and for
the SCR unit processes.
Wärtsilä is heavily involved in developing
technologies and product solutions for
secondary emissions control systems, as
well as on a range of energy efficiency
improvements, such as heat recovery,
combined cycles, and chillers. Among the
focus areas are the design and development
of SCR processes, and the development of
efficient engine solutions that are compatible
with future environmental regulations.
Much has already been achieved in this
field, but development work is continuing.
It is strongly believed that SCR technology
will become used even more with
combustion engines. In particular, the use
of SCR and high sulphur fuels will not
be technically limited, provided that the
entire chain from the engine throughout
the whole SCR process is carefully made.
This article highlights the main
achievements, as well as the on-going
efforts regarding SCR development for high
sulphur applications.
SCR technology
The SCR system consists of a reducing
agent storage tank, a reducing agent
feeding and dosing unit, a reactor with
catalyst elements, and a control system.
In Figure 1 an overview of the system
is illustrated.
26 in detail
The catalyst elements are often of
the honeycomb type, and the catalytic
material is typically titanium dioxide for
the carrying substrate, and vanadium
pentoxide for the active substance.
The reducing agent used is often urea
(CO(NH2)2). Ammonia can also be used,
but its toxicity makes it less preferable.
The reducing agent is injected into the
exhaust duct upstream of the SCR reactor.
The main reactions of the process can
be seen below; urea is evaporated and
decomposed to become isocyanic acid
(HNCO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and
ammonia (reaction 1). The isocyanic acid
is further decomposed into ammonia
and carbon dioxide (reaction 2). The
nitrogen oxides of the exhaust are reduced
to N2 and H2O by the reaction with
the ammonia (reactions 3 and 4).
(1) CO(NH2)2 NH3 + HNCO
(2) HNCO + H2O NH3 + CO2
(3) 4NO + 4NH3 + O2 4N2 + 6H2O
(4) 6NO2 + 8NH3 7N2 + 12H2O
The temperature of the SCR process
is generally 250–500°C, wherein the
optimum temperature is limited to a
narrower window by certain factors. In
order to reach a sufficient reaction rate,
and to avoid deactivation and fouling
due to condensation of the components
in the exhaust gas, the minimum
temperature is typically 300–350°C
and the upper temperature limit 400-
450°C. The aforementioned limits apply
especially to HFO. If the upper limit
is exceeded, an increased consumption
of the reducing agent is expected as it
will start to burn, the catalyst lifetime
becomes shorter, and at temperatures
above 500°C the catalytic material may
be damaged. Undesired branch reactions
also start to occur at higher temperatures.
Challenges
The fuel used will heavily affect the
temperature requirement for the SCR
process. Hydrocarbon compounds,
ammonium sulphate, and ammonium
bisulphate start to condensate on the
catalyst, which disables its function by
blocking the active sites for the NOOX
reactions. Furthermore, this causes
the ammonia to slip, and increases
the backpressure affecting the engine’s
performance. This means that HFO fuel
with a higher sulphur content and viscosity
requires a higher temperature than
a distillate fuel.

However, ammonium sulphate
formation is not the only issue when
using SCR in high sulphur applications;
oxidation of the SO2 to SO3 needs also
to be considered. This oxidation is a
function of the vanadium content of the
catalyst, and the temperature. A higher
value of these parameters results in a
higher oxidation of SO2. As the SO3 is a
visible aerosol, it results in a blue plume
at the stack, which makes the plume
more visible. This visibility is dependent
on, for example, concentration, light
conditions, and background colour.
The NO OX emissions vary depending on
the ambient and operating conditions.
This makes reliable dosing of the reducing
agent something of a challenge, and a
simple mapping of the NO OX emissions is
not an ideal way to manage urea dosing.
Similarly, analyser based feedback control
systems suffer from some reliability issues.
Fig. 1 – SCR system overview.
Chimney
NOX monitoring system
(optional)
SCR control system
Reducing agent
storage tank
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
A critical issue, especially in marine
applications, is the availability of space.
It is often a challenging task to have
a compact mixing and reactor unit,
together with a sufficiently spacious,
efficient, and selective catalyst.
Legislation
The International Maritime Organization
(IMO) has defined limits in order to
restrict nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide
(SOOX) emissions from marine engines. The
required NO OX reduction is determined
by the speed of the engine. These NO OX
emission limits came into force in 2005,
and were made retroactive to January 1,
2000. These regulations became known as
IMO Tier I. Now in 2011, the next level
- IMO Tier II - has entered into force.
This requires a further reduction in NO OX
emissions of 16–22% compared to the
Tier I level. In 2016, Tier II will be
Reactor with catalyst
Sootblowing
Reducing agent injection
Reducing agent
dosing unit
Engine
Reducing agent
feeding unit
in detail 27
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
complemented by Tier III in specific areas
(known as Emission Control Areas, or
ECAs), which requires NO OX reductions
of 80% compared to the Tier I level. The
Tier II limits can be achieved by primary
methods, while SCR technology is
expected to play a major role for Tier III.
The exhaust emission limits for oil fired
combustion engine power plants differ
significantly in different countries around
the world. This legislation is driven by
various concerns, such as health effects,
air quality, and economic concerns.
Globally, there is a range of legislation that
impacts the need for oil fired combustion
engine power plants to employ SCR,
and this legislation is more complicated
than in the marine sector. The SCR
efficiency requirements are typically 80
to 90%, but can be more than 95% in
certain special cases and applications.
SCR design for extreme fuel qualities
In the early 2000s, Orimulsion (a bitumen
water mixture) type fuels were being
promoted, mainly because of their low
cost. However, the fuel quality is poor,
and the level of impurities exceeded the
figures for conventional heavy fuels. A
Fig. 2 – Pressure loss over plate type SCR during operation with high S fuel.
0,9
0,8
drop over SCR/kPa
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0 100 200 300
Operating time/h
28 in detail
sulphur content of 4 wt-% (dry) and an
ash content of 0.1 wt-% (dry) or above
were analysed. SCR development work
and testing were also carried out in order
to demonstrate the technical feasibility
of the technology for such fuels.
A plate type element structure, typically
used in high dust applications, was
taken as the core of the demonstration
unit together with an appropriate soot
blowing system. The experience with
respect to the prevention of any kind
of accumulation was surprisingly good.
In those tests exceeding 3600 hours of
which about 70 % with Orimulsion , it
was shown that the pressure loss remained
more or less unchanged. The levels, and
the trend during the first 500 hours, can
be seen in Figure 2. The performance
of the SCR system was also verified
over the long-term to monitor possible
symptoms of catalyst deterioration.
Extensive measurement campaigns were
carried out in November 2002 and March
2003, representing operating hours of
about 700 and 2300 hours respectively.
These campaigns indicated negligible
deterioration on the catalyst, and NOOX
emissions were reduced clearly by more
400 500

Fig. 3 – Visibility differences in the stacks
– left with the original SCR, right without SCR (for reference test runs only).
than 90% with low ammonia slip.
These were extremely promising findings
that confirmed that, with a sufficient
design, the SCR can manage the challenges
caused by extremely poor fuel qualities.
Case example - Punaruu, Tahiti
A Wärtsilä 46 engine based power plant
using HFO with up to 2% S, was
commissioned in Tahiti in 2009. The plant
has two SCR units (one per engine),
designed by Hug Engineering. During
the commissioning, it became obvious
that there were challenges with the
visibility of the plume, especially at
certain operating conditions, due to
oxidation of SO2 to SO3 (Figure 3). The
root cause was promptly and thoroughly
analysed by Wärtsilä and Hug, and it
was concluded that there was no single
independent reason, for which a remedy
would provide a sufficient improvement.
Wärtsilä wanted to provide the
optimized solution, and hence a holistic
view on the factors and their remedies
was applied. The engines were re-
tuned in such a way that they could
provide better conditions for the SCR
to minimize the sulphur conversion. At
the same time, Hug was requested to
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
redesign their system. Hug reverted with
a completely new type of SCR element
having a far better capability to restrict
SO3 formation. All in all, these efforts
changed the plume characteristics totally.
Practical observations at the site following
the modifications, proved the calculations
right, and the new type of SCR element
was clearly better in this respect than the
original traditional elements. In Figure 4
can be seen the decreased visibility of the
right exhaust pipe after the modifications
(the left exhaust pipe is not in use).
Needless to say that the NO OX emission
related guarantees were fulfilled.
This reminded us of the fact that it is
crucial that the entire engine and SCR
system is integrated for reaching the Fig. 4 – The plume following
optimum results. Another lesson learned the SCR modifications at the
is that one should really think about Punaruu site
which type of elements to use for various (left exhaust pipe not in use).
applications. As a result of this exercise,
one can be more confident regarding
the use of SCR technology with higher
sulphur fuels. The SCR temperature
window, including both lower and upper
limits, is currently a default criterion in
Wärtsilä,s four-stroke engine portfolio.
in detail 29
 [ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Fig. 5 – SCR validation test bench
for HFO diesel engine use in Wärtsilä
engine laboratory (backside view).
On-going SCR development
Wärtsilä is continuing its own research
and development activities using a SCR
test bench. The main target of the test
bench is to validate new kinds of SCR
elements with real exhaust gases, in order
to achieve optimal performance from the
Wärtsilä NOR/SCR systems. Additionally,
this research will, for example, examine the
impact of different fuel types on the SCR,
evaluate different catalyst element types,
and will test mixing of the reducing agent.
Wärtsilä is one of the leading companies
driving a major national three-year (2010-
2012) combustion engine technology
research programme entitled “Future
Combustion Engine Power Plant (FCEP)”.
The principal aim of this programme is to
develop combustion engine and related
technologies to ensure that Finnish industry
can maintain its leading position in global
markets, while meeting the requirements
of tightening environmental legislation.
Under this programme, three research
projects involving SCR have been
conducted. The object of these projects is
to research the impact of bio fuels and high
sulphur fuels on the SCR, as well as to
research novel catalyst materials for SCRs.
Development of Wärtsilä,s SCR product
(NOR) is on-going. The improvements
enable a more compact, flexible and cost-
effective solution. The product is intended
for four-stroke diesel and dual-fuel engines
30 in detail
operating with a wide variety of liquid
fuels, including LBF and HFO with
3.5% sulphur. Pre-turbine SCR solutions,
which are needed especially in two-stroke
engines, are not covered specifically in this
article. The same critical issues are faced
there with some additional challenges
and possibilities. Two-stroke engine SCR
solutions are ready for customer deliveries,
but product development is underway to
improve their integration with the engine.
Being an engine manufacturer, Wärtsilä
has an overview of the entire picture and
can, as a result, take the whole system
into consideration. This enables the
company to provide the market with
solutions that can effectively cope with
the various challenges. An accumulation
of deposits can be avoided through the
use of an engine temperature control,
and by designing the SCR reactor
with suitable catalyst elements and an
adequate soot blowing system. The SO2
oxidation can be minimized by taking the
catalysts’ element type and the exhaust
gas temperature into consideration.
Understanding and implementing a
dosing strategy based on the engine
parameters (SCR process control
integration with the engine) is a preferred
way of dosing the reducing agent.
CONCLUSION
The use of SCR systems with HFO fired
combustion engines probably presents an
unquestionable challenge for the market.
We do not foresee any reason why this
challenge cannot be overcome. The
system just needs to be more carefully
designed, taking into consideration
not only the SCR process, but also its
integration with the engine in order to
enable a complete functional chain.
It was earlier stated that the challenge
of SO3 formation should be tackled
by the selection and dimensions of the
catalyst, as well as by the engine design.
This is the same for the elimination of
deposits. Wärtsilä clearly focuses on
ensuring the reliable and optimum fit
of its engine portfolio with the use of its
SCR system. As an engine manufacturer,
Wärtsilä can also apply accurate and
reliable means for controlling SCR systems
based on engine parameter control.
The expected demand from the
marine sector for SCR systems will
progressively increase from now until
2016, and the ultimate products must
be ready to meet demand at that time.
Wärtsilä is already today ready to offer
and deliver SCR systems for high sulphur
applications, and is making intensive
efforts in the further development and
commercialisation of SCRs in parallel
with its engine development.

A U T H O R : Yv e s B u i , B u s i n e s s D e v e l o p m e n t D i r e c t o r, M e r c h a n t , W ä r t s i l ä S h i p Po w e r
The IMO’s Tier III environment
protection rules for NOX reduction
in defined Emission Control Areas
(ECAs), will apply to ships keeled
after January 2016. Similarly, port
authorities are imposing strict rules
on sulphur content in heavy fuels
(HFO).
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
For the time being, these ECA regulations
apply to the North Sea, the Baltic Sea,
the English Channel, and an area stretching
for 200 nautical miles from the USA and
Canadian coastlines. However, it is possible
that in the future these areas will extend
also to Singapore, Australia, Japan and/or
South Korea.
In order to achieve the levels mentioned
in IMO Tier III (Figure 2), which apply to
the above mentioned areas, primary and
secondary emission reduction measures
can be employed.
Primary measures include internal
engine configurations (such as, exhaust gas
recirculation, Low-NO OX combustion,
Miller timing), as well as the use of less
polluting fuels, such as diesel or gas.
Secondary measures include the use of
scrubbers and NO OX catalyst reducers (SCR).
Wärtsilä is developing solutions to
comply with these requirements. Much has
been achieved in developing gas solutions,
and development work has also been
carried out with SCR and scrubbers in
order to be able to offer a complete range
of clean solutions. These measures are an
extra cost for operators, so the choice of
one solution over another is often driven
by economics. The same applies also to the
comparison between possible penalties,
or the price/ton of the carbon credits.
In this context, the first step is to consider
the type of vessel, its operational profile,
and the amount of sailing time in the
ECA zones.
in detail 31
 [ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]
[ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]

This analysis leads to identifying the Methodology of the statistical study

various operational profiles, and thus At the global level, the reliable database
the selection of propulsion types and their collected concerning port arrivals and
economic impact. departures of all vessels, can form
Four ECA zones were identified as the basis of the statistical study.
a first step: Knowing in most cases the in-coming
O
ECA zone 1 = Northern Europe port (and sailing dates), and in many cases
O
ECA zone 2 = USA, Canada also the destination port after the actual
O
ECA zone 3 = Northern Mediterranean harbour call, it is possible to assemble
O
ECA zone 4 = Singapore and Tokyo bay the statistics with rather reliable precision
from a few days of data collection.
Only ECA zones 1 and 2 are in line to be A first step was made from 6 days of
implemented, and are, therefore, the focus harbour call data collection to limit the
of this study. costs and the volume of the data to be
The others can change in terms of treated. These 6 days provided knowledge
definition, e.g. Korea/Osaka bay and regarding 850,000 days at sea reporting
Australia could be added to ECA zone 4. 323,000 vessel data lines.
With an assumption of 45,000 ships
over 1000 GRT sailing during 200 days
per year, it means 9 million days of
S (%)
statistics, and a sampling of 10% would
Global: 4.5 3.5 0.5
4.5 Sulphur
p Emission lead to an uncertainty minor of +/- 3 points
Control Area (SECA): 1.5 1.0 0.1 in the values obtained.
4.0 CARB MGO: 1.5 1.5 0.1
CARB MDO: 2.0 0.5 0.1 Therefore, 6 days of harbour call data is
3.5
considered to be more than enough for
3.0 the purpose of the initial ECA zone study.
2.5 These days have been selected with a 2 to 3
2.0 months interval between mid 2008 and
1.5
mid 2009.
From the data collected, the following
1.0
methodology has been applied after
0.5 cancellation of all incoherent data:
0.1 1. Characterization of the ports in,
and not in, ECA zones
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2. Distance between each and every

port mentioned in the database
3. Characterization of the sailing time
Fig. 1 – Fuel sulphur limits – IMO roadmap. within the ECA zone, depending
on the voyage from port to port
4. Evaluation of the time spent in harbour
IMO Tier I IMO Tier II IMO Tier III 5. Speed analysis between 2 ports
20
6. Classification of the vessels, according
to Lloyd’s split
18 17
7. Determination by vessel category of the
16 Tier I: 1.1.2000, global operational profile, including harbour
14.4
NOX emission g/kWh

14 time
12 8. Percentage of time spent within
45*n (-0.2
2)
10 the ECA zone by vessel category
Tier II: 1.1.2011, global
44*n (-0.23) 9. Percentage of vessels by category sailing
8
after 2016, outside Emission Control Areas from 100% to 80% of their time within
6
the ECA zone, or from 60% to 80%, etc.
4 3.4
9*n (-0.2)
2
Tierr III: 1.1.2016,
0 global in Emission Control
o Areas
Global results
0 The percentage of days spent at sea sailing
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 within ECA zones 1 and 2, by the sample
Engine speed, rpm relating to more than 111,000 voyages,
represents close to 13% of all the analyzed
days.
Fig. 2 – Overview of IMO Tier I-III. Cruise and ferry vessels have an ECA

32 in detail
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

zone 1 and 2 share of 18.3%, merchant

12%, offshore 15.4%, and special vessels
17.2%.
The evolution of these percentages
during the time made for merchant vessels
is quite stable, which demonstrates that
there is no real seasonality regarding the
presence of vessels in the ECA zones
(see Figure 3).

Merchant vessel analysis

Merchant vessel operating profiles Number of Total Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of
An important finding of this study is Segment vessels trips number of ECA 1 ECA 2 ECA 3 ECA 4
to understand the operational profile of counted days at sea Total time Total time Total time Total time
the vessels: the duration of the trip, the Cruise &
6 242 24 095 2 408 2 015 2 066 392
time spent in harbour within and outside Ferry
the ECA zones, and the time spent at Merchant 85 651 651 392 45 780 32 124 18 086 12 462
sea in the main ECA zones 1 and 2.
The summary of all the merchant vessel Navy 139 376 67 - 2 10
data shows that each year a vessel makes
23 round trips of 15.8 days, the average Offshore 5 003 29 184 2 452 2 053 556 1 232
percentage of the total time in the year being:
O
44.3% in port outside ECA Special
14 742 78 723 7 401 6 124 1 739 2 999
zones 1 and 2 (i.e. 160 days) Vessel
O
7.2% in ECA 1 ports (i.e. 26 days) Grand total 111 777 783 770 58 108 42 316 22 449 17 095
O
4.1% in ECA 2 ports (i.e. 14.9 days)
O
38.0% at sea in non-ECA 1 7.4% 5.4% 2.9% 2.2%
and 2 zones (i.e. 138 days)
O
4.2% in ECA 1 zone (i.e. 15.3 days)
O
2.4% in ECA 2 zone (i.e.8.7 days)

The surprising fact is that the time spent Table 1 – ECA zone sailing statistics.
at sea is limited to 162 days per year
on average.

Merchant vessel frequency in ECA zones

Computing the data in a slightly different
way, it is interesting to understand how the 9 140,000
% days at sea in each ECA zone

average number of days sailing within an 8

120,000
Number of days at sea

ECA zone is distributed amongst the vessels. 7

100,000
It can be all the vessels sailing 13% of 6
their time in an ECA zone, or a few vessels 5 80,000
sailing 100% of their time in an ECA zone. 4 60,000
For these two cases the machinery concept 3
40,000
producing the most cost-effective solution 2
can differ. 1 20,000
The merchant vessels have been mapped 0 0
in steps of 20% of the days at sea within 15.4.2008 15.6.2008 15.8.2008 15.10.2008 15.1.2009 15.4.2009
ECA zones, beginning from the category
of 100% to 80% of their time in ECA
% ECA 1 North Europe
zones 1 and 2. % ECA 2 USA, Canada
The global analysis shows that 8% of % ECA 3 North Medit.
merchant vessels spend from 100% to 80% % ECA 4 Singapore, Tokyo
of their time at sea in ECA zones 1 and 2. Total days at sea
Depending on the vessel type, these
percentages of “pure” ECA zone vessels
range from 0% for VLCCs or large LNG
carriers, to 31% for medium sized RoRo
vessels. Fig. 3 – ECA zone merchant – days at sea.

in detail 33
 [ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]
[ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]
If we pay attention to these medium
sized RoRo vessels, we can note that
amongst the 223 vessels surveyed:
O
31% spend more than 80% of
the time in ECA zones 1 and 2
O
4% of the RoRos spend between 60%
and 80% of their days at sea in ECA
O
6% of them from 40% to 60% in ECA
O
10% of them from 20% to 40% in ECA
O
13% of them from 5% to 20% in ECA
O
36% of them less than 5% in ECA.
The average propulsion power is 11 MW.
The average voyage is 2.8 days for the
medium sized RoRo vessels from 20 to
40,000 GRT staying more than 80% of
the time in an ECA zone. These details are
of significance for the dimensioning of the
Wärtsilä LNGPac gas containment system.
At the other end of the scale, Post-
Panamax container vessels with 45 MW
propulsion power are sailing very rarely in
ECA zones. Fewer than 15% of them are
sailing more than 40% of their days at sea
in ECA zones. This can lead to the study
of various machinery concepts according
to the amount of time spent in the ECA
zones.
34 in detail
A third example could be product
tankers, which distribute chemical products
from port to port. They can, for example,
carry their cargo staying within the North
American 200 nautical mile zone from
Houston to New York. In this case, the
product tanker can choose to stay or not
within the ECA zone of 200 nautical
miles from the US and Canada coastline,
in order to optimize the most economical
route considering the machinery and gas
system installed on board, and the
relative price of the LNG and HFO.
Cruise vessels and the ECA zone
The study shows also that cruise vessels are
sailing a limited number of days in ECA
zones 1 and 2. They amount for 16% of
the total sailing time.
Having a clean image is, however,
more a driver in this case. Nevertheless,
having gas systems installed on board such
passenger vessels is still to be explored in
terms of the safety rules to be applied.
Offshore vessels and the ECA zone
The study shows also that on the whole,
offshore vessels spend 10% of the year
at sea in ECA zones, and 18% of the time
in ECA zone ports.
This means that the machinery concept
to be studied later should be economically
viable.
One influential factor in the decision
to use gas as fuel for OSVs is the recent
decision from the Norwegian government
to exempt offshore support vessels calling
at Norwegian ports from paying carbon
tax, if their propulsion is powered by gas.
However, some countries consider the
economic advantages of using gas to fuel
vessels to be sufficient without adding
any such indirect incentives.
ECA zone machinery concepts
The options by which new-build vessels
using diesel engines can sail in ECA zones
today consist of:
O
HFO and secondary measures
with scrubbers and SCRs
O
MGO and MDO inside ECA
zones with reduced SCR size, with
the possibility to switch the fuel
to HFO outside the ECA zones
O
Gas in the form of LNG, today
stored in a pressurized type C tank
but may in the future utilize other
types of containment derived from
the LNG carriers. This choice can

evolve with the potential changes
in the regulations; notably the so
called IGF (International Gas Fuelled
vessel) code, the final form of which
is scheduled to be adopted in 2014.
HFO plus scrubbers and SCRs
This machinery concept has the great
advantage of being able to use today’s
engine solutions and adding cleaning
devices for the exhaust gas, in order to be
compliant with the IMO Tier III rules.
Another plus is that the HFO can be
purchased as today with no impact on
the refinery industry.
The drawbacks are the installation issues
and the waste liquids from the scrubbing
process and catalysing the exhaust gases,
without forgetting of course, the cost issue.
Wärtsilä is able to supply these secondary
measure devices.
MDO/MGO in ECA zones
MDO/MGO is a fuel that has no problem
with sulphur emissions, but depending on
the technology used for the diesel engines,
might still need some NO OX abatement
using small SCRs.
The best way to use MDO/MGO might
be to burn HFO outside the ECA areas,
and switch to MDO/MGO inside
the ECA areas.
This needs a procedure for switching
fuels, but Wärtsilä engines are able to burn
many different qualities of fuel, including
bio diesel, and could be the solution
depending on the operational profile.
Attention should be paid to the length
of the voyage, and the needed sailing speed,
should ship owners want to use
MDO/MGO.
The difference in price between MDO/
MGO and HFO makes the choice price
competitive in certain circumstances,
and not economically viable in others.
Those engines able to run with MDO/
MGO without secondary measures will
obviously have a certain advantage.
LNG in ECA zones
Natural gas, which is mainly composed
of methane, is a clean fuel that meets
all the established or envisioned norms
regarding pollution legislation.
The price of gas, relative to the other
fuels is, however, the important factor.
Many indices foresee LNG as being
a relatively cheap fuel.
Gas reserves are more important than
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
those of crude oil, and the drilling and
exploitation is easier and cheaper. There
are still a number of fields not yet drilled
or explored because the demand is not
yet that high, and the actual current
production is sufficient for present needs.
Many specialists believe that it is
reasonable to assume the future price of gas
to be 70% of that of HFO. In such a case,
gas will become the “coal” of the shipping
industry, and Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel (DF)
technology will be a significant factor.
Special attention should, however, be
paid to the installation on board.
But the most important factor today for
the shipping industry is the availability of
the gas itself. Until the gas supply network
is fully in place, DF engines enabling the
use of multi-fuels for flexibility and fuel
management, offer the most economically
advantageous solution.
Wärtsilä is also involved in the planning
process to ease the bunkering situation,
and Wärtsilä Ship Design together with
the conceptual design team, has proposed
the concept of a feeder gas bunkering
vessel.
Wärtsilä’s LNGPac has been designed to
provide gas handling and storage on board.
Some studies show that more than 1000 m3
of the space required to install such
pressurized tank systems will be too invasive,
with respect to the cargo or passenger space,
except where it can be installed above
the main deck. In that case, atmospheric
tanks - or a combination of pressured and
atmospheric tanks – could be the answer.
Wärtsilä has patents pending for such
a solution.
70%
60%
50%
Annual hours
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Port ECA Port Manoeuvring Manoeuvring At sea in ECA At sea
ECA
Fig. 4 – Operational profile for the RoRo taken as an example.
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SCRs
SCR S
Scrubbers
bb
Other studies are ongoing, mainly thanks
to European Union financing. Wärtsilä,
4 x WÄRTSILÄ 6L38 together with heading ship designers, yards,
CPP 8700 kW 4350 kW each
and universities are engaged in seeking
the best solutions. The results of these
studies will be public, and for the benefit
Thrusters of the entire world in improving the
PTO 2400 kW
CPP 8700 kW
1x1850 kW +
1x 1850 kW
environmental sustainability of
the shipping industry.

Analysis example of one vessel type

3 x WÄRTSILÄ 9L20
PTO 2400 kW 1800 kW each RoRo machinery concept
Together with the ferry sector, this
category of vessels is the one most
Total installed engine power: 22,800 kW interested in the use of gas for propulsion.
Historically, the Northern European
countries – and specifically Scandinavia
Fig. 5 – Machinery concept for ship 1: W38 mechanical. – have always been very concerned about
environmental protection. The Baltic Sea,
being an almost closed sea, has always been
2 x LNGPac 194 176 m3 at 90% the subject of special environmental
fill-in
4 x WÄRTSILÄ 9L34DF attention.
4050 kW each
CPP 8700 kW
3
176 m at 90%
fill-in
Thus, there exists a clear benefit in using
gas to fuel Baltic RoRos.
The situation is more complicated for
Thrusters mixed sailing RoRos, like the ones sailing
1x1850 kWW+
PTO 2400 kW 1x 1850 kW
W between Trieste and Istanbul.
CPP 8700 kW
We can estimate for these Trieste-
Istanbul medum size RoRos the
propulsion need as being slightly more
than 17,000 kW for 19.3 knots. This
PTO 2400 kW
allows the RoRo to reach Turkey in 60
4 x WÄRTSILÄ 9L20DF
1 314kW each hours, and stay one night on each side
of the trip in order to load trucks.
Total installed engine power: 21,456 kW
The distance is 340 nautical miles in
the planned ECA zone around Italy, and
Fig. 6 – Machinery concept for ship 2: W34DF mechanical. 820 nautical miles to Istanbul with no
restriction of emissions. This means that
the ECA zone sailing represents 30% of
25,000
the total trips during 84% of the year.
Due to the height restrictions, the
Wärtsilä 38 would be a highly suitable
20,000 Scrubbers conventional engine in the proposed
attached configuration.
Machinery first cost |kEUR]

SCR
Fuel system Ship 1 is referred to as the W38 HFO
15,000 (LNG tank etc.) in the illustrations.
Steering The comparison is then made with
Propulsion train the Wärtsilä 34DF mechanical version.
10,000 Ship 2 is referred to as the W34DF Gas
Electric system
Gensets + HFO in the illustrations.
generators Ship 3 is derived from ship 1 with
5000
Propulsion Wärtsilä 38 engines and will sail within
engine
the ECA zone using MDO, thus avoiding
0
the need to install a scrubber but needing
W38 HFO W34DF W38 W20 W38 W20 W34DF SCRs. It is known as the W38 SCR.
Gas HFO MDO SCR MDO All gas
Ship 4 is derived from ship 2 with
Wärtsilä 34DF engines but is fuelled by
Fig. 7 – Machinery investment costs, kEUR (for indication of solution LNG for the whole trip, with the gas
comparison only). bunkering taking place in Trieste where

36 in detail
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

an LNG plant will be installed. It is known

as the W34 All gas. 20,000
Wärtsilä has created very powerful
18,000
software, known as ShipMac, which is used
by the company’s sales force to study on

Annual machinery related cost [kEUR]

16,000
Scrubber
a case by case basis, the requirements of operating costs
14,000 (NaOH
each customer for comparing the different + Fresh Water)
machinery configurations and including 12,000 SCR operating
those interested in utilizing LNG for costs
their own purposes. 10,000
Maintenance
The results extracted from ShipMac for 8000
costs

this particular present RoRo case are as Lubrication oil

costs
follows: 6000
Fuel costs
The machinery costs (without taking 4000
into account the installation costs) clearly Annual capital
costs
favour having only SCR as secondary 2000
measures for achieving IMO Tier II, when
0
considering the use of MDO in the W38 HFO W34DF W38 W20 W38 W20 W34DF
Gas HFO MDO SCR MDO All gas
ECA zones. Figure 8 indicates that the
annual running costs make the MDO
solution unsuitable for compliance with
the environmental regulations, since this Fig. 8 – Annual machinery costs (kEUR).
solution is always the more expensive in
the cases studied for the RoRo in question.
These costs take into account a capital
bearing 6% interest rate over 10 years.
FUEL PRICES and Sulphur Separation
For this short distance representing PROPERTIES
[EUR/ton] LHV [kJ/kg] Carbon% -wt
content (%) losses (%)
Density
60 hours for a single leg trip, and where no Heavy Fuel Oil
issue can be raised regarding gas supply 483 40 600 85 2.7 1.5
(HFO)
with the hypothesis that a LNG plant will Low Sulphur Heavy
493 40 600 85 1 1.5
be created in Trieste, gas is the best Fuel Oil (LSHFO)

economical choice (ship 4) with today’s Marine Diesel Oil

676 42 700 86 0.2 0.5
(MDO)
fuel prices.
Marine Gas Oil
680 42 800 87,5 0.1 0
(MGO)
Fuel price sensitivity
Liquefied Natural Gas
Fuel price 477 49 208 75 0.001 0,0 450
(LNG-1)
Obviously all the results depend on the
relative prices of the various fuels considered.
As an example, the price variation of
the various fuels can be applied to the RoRo Table 2 – Fuel prices February 22, 2011.
already studied.
From 2009 to February 2011 the price
of HFO has increased from 418 Euro/ton
to 483 Euro/ton.
Priority selection with 30%
The price of LNG is today fluctuating, Fuels prices
ECA zone RoRo
but what is known to the market is the
HFO Gas in MDO in
price of LNG delivered by truck to LNG LNG
Euro/ton HFO MDO LNG/HFO Scrubbers ECA HFO ECA HFO All gas
12 $/mmBTU
SCR outside outside
land refuelling stations. This is based on
12 $/mmBTU, which corresponds to 418 606 477 114%
477 Euro/ton.
12 $/mm BTU is much higher than 446 638 477 107%
the Henry hub price, for which the average
over the past 18 months has been slightly 477 676 477 100%
less than 5 $/mm BTU, including
all logistic costs. Feb.11 483 685 477 99%
We can assume that this price will be
somewhat stable because the following
two antagonist phenomena will tend to
make it so. Table 3 – Net present value over 10 years with 30% of the time in ECA zone.

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increasing to above 100 $/barrel and

increasing competition to deliver LNG
to the shipping industry which will
maintain the price level. Priority selection with 50% ECA zone

Thus, the analysis is to understand HFO Scrubbers Gas in ECA HFO MDO in ECA HFO
All gas
at which level the use of gas becomes SCR outside outside
interesting when its use is limited to
the ECA zone, or for the total trip.
Clearly MDO is not the answer.
However, some considerations have to be
made to extend the conclusion when
the time spent within the ECA zone is
different.
To run entirely on gas (Table 3, column
All gas) starts to be economically interesting
when LNG is 107% of the HFO price.
Table 4 – Net present value over 10 years with 50% of the time in ECA zone.
ECA zone time analysis
The variation of the economical advantage
of each machinery may also depend on
the time spent inside the ECA zone.
The same reasoning, including the
adaptation of the gas tank capacity to the
needs for spending 10%, 50% and 75% Priority selection with 50% ECA zone
10% ECA zone
of the time in the ECA zone, shows the
HFO Scrub
Scrubbers Gas in ECA
W34DF HFO
Gas MDO in ECA
W38 W20HFO W34DF
following – going from green to red using HFO
SCR
SCR
outside
HFO outside
MDO SCR
All gas
All gas
the same price fuel panel as in Table 3.
For this RoRo application, it is clearly
demonstrated that whatever the relative
price variation of the fuels, the best
solution is to go from HFO with scrubbers
and SCRs to the complete gas system
running 100% of the time on gas.
The situation changes when the LNG
equals 100% to 107% of HFO, depending
on the percentage of time spent in
the ECA zone.
Table 5 – Net present value over 10 years with 10% of the time in ECA zone.

CONCLUSION
The study presented in this article clearly
points to LNG being a very attractive
option, both from the point of view of cost
and environmental compliance, for vessels
operating inside ECA zones. Another Priority selection with 75% ECA zone
environmental benefit comes from reduced
HFO Scrubbers W34DF Gas W38 W20 W34DF
CO2 emissions, which could also be an SCR HFO MDO SCR All gas
economical advantage if and when the
carbon tax applies to the shipping industry.
As a provider of gas systems, Wärtsilä
can deliver solutions regarding the choice
of gas system suitable for each and every
operational profile.
The company offers a complete portfolio,
including DF engines, ship design
capability, the LNGPac gas handling
system, as well as scrubbers and SCRs to
satisfy customers’ requirements for cleaner
environmental solutions. Table 6 – Net present value over 10 years with 75% of the time in ECA zone.

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 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
A U T H O R : R e i j o G r a n q v i s t , P r o j e c t M a n a g e r 3 C , W ä r t s i l ä S h i p Po w e r
The Wärtsilä 3C Control and Bridge design in the past
Communication Center offers the Ever since global shipping began using
very latest in fully integrated vessel motorised vessels, the design and lay-out of
control systems. It also enhances the the bridge has been the subject of interest.
ergonomic working conditions for Over the years it has become increasingly
those manning the bridge. important. For many decades, ship controls
and communication remained relatively
simple, and the engine room and bridge
were located far from one another within
the minds of those who operated the vessel.
Over the past three decades, however,
development in this field has been very fast.
Electronic navigation arrived, and with it
came both improvements and challenges
on the bridge. Automation did the same in
the engine room. Equipment manufacturers
were competing to produce more and more
sophisticated equipment and systems.
Software applications were introduced that,
because of conflicts within the integration
of the various systems, served only to create
more grey hair than satisfaction. As a result,
navigation equipment manufacturers began
to increase their co-operation with
automation and propulsion equipment
manufacturers. Mergers started to appear.
This has led to improved results in systems
integration, and less trouble for the
owners and yards. Or has it?
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Fig. 1 – Cruise-Ferry bridge controls. Fig. 2 - Aeroplane cockpit controls.
Let’s take a look back at when integrated
bridges first appeared on the market.
Before that time, bridge design was
nothing more than a jungle of controls
and push buttons, scattered around in
whatever space was available within
the standard consoles. Enormous steps
have been taken since then, and special
thanks are due to the Finnish-Swedish
ferry operators. Navigation within the
Finnish and Swedish archipelagos, between
thousands of islands and islets, is extremely
challenging - especially in bad weather
conditions. There was a clear demand for
an improved bridge design that would
provide more efficient, ergonomic, and safe
operation. The so called “cockpit”
arrangement became a reality mainly
because of those vessels. Major cruise
lines soon joined the trend.
Automation
What is the actual role of automation
onboard a vessel? Automation is generally
associated with electrical systems within
the engine controls, and with their safety
and sub systems. The machinery control
interface handles a large amount of engine
status data. It also processes multiple tasks
necessary for the efficient and safe
operation of the machinery. The status of
the relevant systems, and their subsystems,
is monitored and partly controlled through
an automation display. Traditionally,
40 in detail
the automation operator station was
located only in the engine control room,
but today it can be also found on the
bridge in certain types of vessels.
The increasing number of automated
functions has resulted in a drastic
reduction in engine room crew levels.
In the aviation world, the development
of automation went hand in hand with
advances in navigation. This was not
the case in the maritime sector. As a
consequence, there are still significant
differences between the approaches in
design for these applications. Aeroplane
cockpits are designed with an extreme
focus on human behaviour, performance
and safety, all at the same time (Figure 2).
As mentioned above, ferry operators
started to realise this and initiated giant
steps towards the cockpit arrangement
and procedures, just like in aviation.
Relationship between
navigation and automation
Recent developments within navigation
and automation have increasingly shown
the importance of integrating all the
various systems. Traditionally, automation
was designed to perform and monitor
multiple tasks related to engine controls,
safety systems, and other electronically
controlled sub systems. At the same time,
dependencies between the bridge and the
engines, propulsion, and automation are

ever increasing. Although they have always
existed, their importance has not been
recognised in the way that we see it today.
Efficiency and safety are both important,
but when it comes to critical functions,
the human factor must also be taken into
serious consideration. Automation should
not increase the work load of the operator,
but rather assist him with decision making
to avoid making critical mistakes.
We may ask ourselves if an aeroplane
is controlled and navigated with the same
principals and equipment as a motor ship
is today. The answer should be yes, but the
amount, type, working environment, and
complexity of the systems and equipment
are different. So why do we still have
a concrete wall between the engines,
automation, propulsion and bridge?
In aviation they are all one.
Control & communication
Needless to say, ship communications are
much more than a chat around the coffee
table. In addition to human contact,
communication is also needed between the
various systems and equipment onboard.
A huge number of messages are sent
between the control and monitoring
systems, and they are all handled with or
without human involvement. Systems are
designed to analyse data and even perform
commands without need of human
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
intervention. Warnings and alarms are
generated to raise the attention of the
operator. The complexity of the systems
and software functions increases the
negative, and often unconscious, feeling
of “losing control”. Is it the machine or
I who has the controls? Furthermore, over
confidence in computerised electronics has
raised much concern. As a result, we are
still struggling to reduce human errors.
In order to optimize efficiency
without compromising safety we need
an intelligent, user-friendly interface
platform, with sufficient redundancies to
eliminate human errors before they occur.
The Wärtsilä 3C - Control and
Communication Center
Classification societies and regulators
in general are fighting with demons to
reduce the amount of accidents caused
by human error. It is hard to understand
why the majority of all accidents are still
caused by human influence, in one way
or another, despite all the efforts made to
enhance competence, certification and
training. It is easy, in the circumstances,
to point the finger at the equipment
manufacturers and system providers, since
as the work onboard becomes easier, the
equipment becomes more complicated.
The only way to tackle the problem is to
provide more user-friendly solutions.
Fig. 3 – Console.
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Fig. 4 – Multifunction displays.
Adaptive learning by “trial & error”
does not really fit today’s challenging
vessel operations. We cannot survive
without those electronic aids and software
applications, and in order to make
operations more safe, efficient, ergonomic,
and productive, we need to understand the
vessel as “one entity”. This is only possible
by a total systems-integration, and we are
already on that path whether we want it
or not. By combining and utilizing all
available information in a prudent way,
we optimize the operator’s target setting
activities. Information sharing between
the vessel automation and the integrated
bridge is the key issue for the Wärtsilä 3C.
The Wärtsilä 3C Control and
Communication Centerr will enhance the
overall operation of the vessel through:
O
Harmonised, easy to use control
and monitoring (interchangeable
multifunction displays).
The new panel design, together with
optimized consoles, creates an efficient,
ergonomic, and safe working
environment. Multifunction displays
enable monitoring and tasks to be
performed from any of the operator
stations - separately or simultaneously
at any time. The Radar, Conning and
ECDIS display can be selected from any
of the multifunction displays, including
the automation and propulsion control
displays. Navtex, and the weather chart,
can be displayed online via ECDIS.
42 in detail
O
Common alarm system
(BNWAS, IAS, AMS etc.)
All bridge alarms, including the
automation alarms, will be integrated
into a single common alarm centre.
Priorities will be set according to
the applicable rules and regulations.
Compared to existing bridge alarm
systems, this has the advantage of
muting certain multiple equipment
alarms during a sensor failure. A sensor
performance monitoring system tracks
the performance of each sensor, and if
one of the sensors is detected as being
faulty, a warning signal is displayed.
However, it is with only one audible
alarm, rather than from each and
every piece of equipment dependent
on that sensor. Previously, all related
equipment needed to be muted
separately. The required action (sensor
change) may be automatic or manual.
O
Central dimming
All dimming can be done
from one location only.
O
Ecometer (linked to the Wärtsilä
Optimizer)
Fuel consumption is monitored by the
optimizer and displayed via the Voyage
Efficiency Display. The optimizer is
constantly in communication with
the Power Management System,
performing analysis and prognosis
functions based on current and past
activities (pitch, RPM, power, rudders
etc.), and other variables such as hull
resistance, environmental conditions,
dynamic stability (trim), and track
keeping data. Based on this information,
the optimizer may be utilized to suggest
alternatives for power generation by
shutting down or starting generators,
based on the pre-planned voyage data
provided by the ECDIS (Electronic
Chart Display and Information System).
O
Weather routing (integrated
weather display in ECDIS)
A weather chart can be overlaid on
the ECDIS display (over the chart).
The prevailing weather and forecasts
can be shown directly on the chart
if desired. Weather Routing services
may be applied. This would assist in
making difficult decisions whilst sailing
in seasonal cyclone areas, or suchlike
challenging conditions.
O
Speed pilot (linked to the Ecometer/
Optimizer)
Voyage data is available via the ECDIS
(pre-planned voyage plan). The
following modes can be selected
in speed pilot:
Z
Set speed
Z
Profile speed (the entire voyage
divided into legs/waypoints)
Z
Arrival mode (ETA = Estimated Time
of Arrival)
– In set speed mode, the vessel will

Fig. 5 – Voyage efficiency.
follow the exact speed selected.
– In profile speed mode, the vessel will
follow the selected leg speeds. These
may include speed limit areas, or
otherwise congested or shallow waters
where speed reduction is required.
It will automatically reduce or increase
the speed according to the pre-
programmed speed set for that leg.
– In arrival mode, the speed is set so
that the pre-planned arrival time is
achieved, in accordance with the voyage
plan. It will automatically increase or
reduce the speed accordingly, within
the set margins.
The speed pilot is linked to the
ecometer/optimizer for improved and
optimized performance (minimized
consumption and emissions).
O
Enhanced steering controls, adaptive
autopilot (radius-, track-, course
and heading controls with online
predictor functions)
The adaptive autopilot reduces fuel
consumption by optimizing the rudder
activity. It will automatically reduce or
increase the reaction time and rudder
angle in accordance with the prevailing
environmental conditions (wind, sea
and current). The Predictor function
provides an accurate indication of
the vessel‘s position and heading within
the pre-set time during turns or
manoeuvres. The predictor time can
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
Fig. 6 – Weather chart.
be set independently. The predicted
position and heading of the vessel will
be shown with dotted lines (“ownship
symbol”) on the display. The Online
Predictorr function deviates from
the existing ones by being capable of
reacting immediately to operator actions,
i.e. the propulsion control levers,
rudders etc. Steering modes, such as
Heading-, Course- and Track control,
provide enhanced course and track
keeping capabilities to optimize the
efficiency and safety of the voyage.
Single action takeover, “override”
manual steering, and “back-up” controls
are in accordance with rule
requirements.
O
Single action take over
All operator stations (controls) are
activated from a single push button.
All systems will follow. (i.e. engine
controls, thrusters, steering and DP),
and any system can be selected/
deselected separately if so desired.
O
Fleet management (Electronic report
generator, CBM, Optimizer etc.)
All administration work, both onboard
and ashore, has increased tremendously
over the years. Shore office personnel
struggle to cope with the availability
of various reports and information
regarding the company’s fleet.
Maintenance procedures are sometimes
neglected or ignored. The reports are
inadequate for successfully analysing
important matters onboard. Condition
Based Maintenance records and
operational records (fleet management)
can be combined to automatically
generated electronic reports which
can be sent ashore manually or
automatically. This would make life
easier onboard and ashore. Only the
imagination can limit the possibilities
as to what can be achieved with a
fully automatic, interactive, exchange
of information. Fleet management
will, at the very least, become a lot
easier. Service agreements with remote
access will guarantee performance
levels, and provide a foundation
for complete lifecycle services.
CONCLUSION
Wärtsilä’s leading position in the industry
is maintained by harnessing the know how
within its entire organization, and utilizing
its existing product portfolio to support
the development of the Wärtsilä 3C
project. Wärtsilä 3C is not only a bridge
design, but rather a long-awaited link
between the engines, the automation, the
propulsion, and the bridge. Integration is
nothing new, but Wärtsilä 3C will provide
the ultimate in systems integration in an
ergonomic working environment. This
provides a healthy sense of confidence
and safety, which opens completely new
horizons for the bridge and engine room.
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A U T H O R : O s k a r L e v a n d e r, M S c ( N a v . A r c h ) , D i r e c t o r, C o n c e p t D e s i g n , M a r i n e L i f e c y c l e S o l u t i o n s
Wärtsilä has developed a new The introduction of LNG as a marine
medium sized cruise ship concept fuel for passenger vessels took a significant
to highlight the advantages that step forward with the order last year
efficient machinery operating on by Viking Line of a 60,000 GT cruise
environmentally friendly LNG can ferry from STX Europe. This vessel will
bring. The concept presents some operate between Finland and Sweden,
new solutions and interesting and will be equipped with four Wärtsilä
features onboard. dual-fuel (DF) engines and a LNGPac
gas storage and handling solution.
This is well earned recognition for the
continuous long term work that Wärtsilä
has invested in promoting environmentally
friendly LNG as a shipping fuel.
It is almost 10 years since Wärtsilä
presented its first concept design for a large
Fig. 1 – The handy size LNG cruise ship concept.
44 in detail
RoPax vessel using LNG as the main fuel.
This was followed by many different types
of LNG ferry concepts, ranging from
a small coastal ferry to two large cruise
ferries. These were all part of a long term
programme aimed at promoting solutions
that will enable the use of LNG in both
cargo and passenger vessels.
But it did not stop with ferries; in 2007
in co-operation with STX Europe,
Wärtsilä introduced a Post Panama cruise
ship design operating with LNG as the
main fuel. The latest LNG powered
design concept is for a smaller, medium
dimensioned, “handy” size cruise ship.

Fig. 2 – The concept features a short superstructure with a wide and long hull.
Handy size
The new 65,000 GT cruise ship design
includes 780 passenger cabins. This handy
size was selected because of the
opportunities it offers, and because there
is potentially increasing demand for this
type of tonnage. Both big and smaller
regional operators are interested in this
size of vessel. The handy size will offer
good economic returns compared to small
vessels, as the economy of scale effect is
already sufficient to offer competitive ticket
prices without having to focus on the ultra
luxury segments. Neither is the initial cost
out of reach for small and upcoming
operators. A medium sized vessel is also
suited for opening up new emerging cruise
regions, as it might be difficult to fill the
larger Post Panama vessels in the beginning.
Furthermore, there are many small ports
that cannot accommodate large vessels,
while ports of call need well developed
infrastructures and facilities to handle the
thousands of visitors coming ashore from
a large vessel. Many cruise passengers also
tend to prefer the atmosphere of smaller
vessels. Nevertheless, they still demand new
and modern vessels with the wide variety
of entertainment and dining options
not found in small or older vessels. The
small ultra luxury ships are beyond the
reach of many passengers’ budgets.
Design philosophy
There exists, therefore, a potential market
for such "handy" size vessels somewhere
between the small ultra luxury and the
large standard cruise ship categories. The
ship has a high percentage of balcony
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
cabins that will attract good prices without
being too expensive for the average cruise
passenger. The ship is also designed to be
extremely environmentally friendly. This is
achieved by specifying efficient machinery
running primarily on LNG, giving
very low emissions. The machinery is,
however, based on well proven and reliable
technology that is already on the market.
The design is based on a somewhat lower
operating speed of 19 knots to give further
emission reductions and clear cost savings.
The concept also takes advantage of
the larger dimensions of the new Panama
Canal locks that are due to open in 2015.
The hull beam is larger than for similar
sized traditional cruise vessels. This gives
better stability and the possibility to
have more cabin decks above each other.
Conversely, the superstructure is shorter,
being only four main fire zones long.
Layout
The shorter superstructure allows space for
an open deck with a large pool area aft of
the deckhouse. The low location of the
pool results in less movement than on
the top sun deck, and makes it possible
to apply a larger free water surface area
without too much sloshing. The pool is
designed for fun water activities, and has a
large artificial beach in the front end and
waterslides in the aft end. The other pool,
located on the top sun deck, is designed
to offer a more relaxing atmosphere.
The aft pool deck area is made extra
wide with overhangs extending outside
the already wide ship hull. These deck
extensions continue forward to form
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a wide promenade deck on each side cabins in the centre of the superstructure.
of the vessel. The lifeboats are located Most of this space is used for air-
in recesses in the deck out-hangs. conditioning, staircases, or other technical
spaces. These inside cabins provide the
Cabins possibility to offer attractive low rates
A wide hull with narrow superstructure for children or single passengers.
is a common feature in many cruise ships The superstructure is designed to form
today. In this case, the hull is only slightly a very straightforward and uniform cabin
stretched since the old Panama Canal area that can be produced at low cost. All
limitations won’t apply. The superstructure four fire zones in the superstructure are
breadth, on the other hand, is minimized very similar. Large identical prefabricated
to fit only one balcony cabin on each side, modules can be used to cut construction
with a centre casing for technical spaces costs. The full-length central casing
in-between. The idea is to get as many provides the superstructure with structural
balcony cabins as possible; up to 94% of strength, meaning that the outside shell
the cabins have a private balcony, which does not need much steel. Cabins can
is very good for a vessel of this size. have large windows and balcony doors to
Balcony cabins fetch much better ticket offer great views and ample natural light.
prices, so the extra revenue potential is
clear. There are only a handful of inside Public spaces
Most of the public spaces are concentrated
on two and a half decks below the cabin
Fig. 3 – The aft sundeck with a large pool. block. The idea is to concentrate most of
the functions to these lower decks, with
only the spa and observation lounge
located on the top sun deck. These
functions require less support, and service
flows are thereby reduced.
The ship has two passenger staircases
plus two panorama elevators in the aft of
the superstructure facing the aft sun deck.
The main staircase also features four
panorama elevators facing the port side
of the ship. These have an outside view
through large windows stretching the
entire height of the superstructure.
The main restaurant is located on two
decks in the aft part of the public spaces.
The main galley is located just aft of the
restaurant. A special alternative restaurant
is located above the main restaurant on the
same level as the large aft sundeck.
It doubles as the lido café in the morning
and daytime, and has large sliding doors/
Size 65,000 GT
Length 260 m
windows facing the sundeck. Other public
Length, bp 240 m spaces are located along the extra wide
Beam 34.0 m promenade deck, and feature large windows
Beam, max 43.2 m and doors to give a light atmosphere and
Draft 7.0 m easy access to the open air.
Depth, main deck 10.8 m The show lounge, located in the forward
Depth, upper deck 17.3 m
part of the vessel, has a traditional
Speed, trial ~20.5 knots
Speed, service ~19 knots arrangement with seating on two levels.
Cabins 780 pcs The conference centre is just aft of the show
Lower beds 1560 pcs lounge on the port side. In this way,
Pax capacity 1900 pax the show lounge can double as a large
Crew 650 crew auditorium if large conferences are hosted
Deadweight 5500 tons onboard. The casino is on the lower public
Propulsion power 2 x 8 = 16 MW
Installed engine power 27.3 MW
deck and offers a natural stop between the
main staircase and the show lounge.

46 in detail

The lobby is spread on two levels and
features shops and a piano bar, with a
beautiful view through a two story high
panorama window.
Fast tender boats
The ship is equipped with two fast
catamarans for tendering passengers to
shore and to alternative destinations.
The tenders are 30 m long and carry 150
passengers at 30 knots. They can be used
to visit locations of special interests and
to reach small ports that cannot
accommodate cruise ships. This allows
the cruise to offer a greater variety of
destinations and sights, and perhaps
attract a bigger clientele. The catamarans
are stored in the aft end on either side
of the LNG storage tanks, in separate
compartments open to the side of the vessel.
The boats are lifted into the water using
cranes integrated into the steel structure
of the overhanging sundeck above
the tender boats.
Fig. 4 – The promenade café with large windows.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
Machinery
The handy sized cruise ship is equipped
with propulsion machinery based on
four Wärtsilä DF engines running
primarily on LNG, with diesel as a back-
up fuel. This is the most environmentally
friendly machinery in the cruise business
and would comply with the toughest
emissions legislations known today. The
NO OX values are below the IMO Tier III
limit, which is 80% below today’s Tier I
levels, without the need for any secondary
emissions reduction technology. It also
meets the toughest future regulations
for sulphur emissions in Sulphur
Emission Control Areas (SECAs), as
LNG does not contain any sulphur.
The ship is designed for a relatively low
service speed of 19 knots, and is propelled
by only two 8 MW electric propulsion
motors driving fixed pitch propellers
on conventional shaft lines. The electric
transmission is based on Wärtsilä’s Low
Loss Concept, offering notably lower
in detail 47
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transmission losses than conventional
electric drives. The electric power is
generated with two Wärtsilä 6L50DF
and two Wärtsilä 8L50DF main engines
driving generators. Only four main engines
make for a simple, low cost arrangement.
The engines are divided into two separate
compartments to comply with Safe Return
to port regulations. The propulsion motors
are also divided into separate compartments.
The propulsion set-up with twin shafts is
a very reliable and well proven concept.
Other alternatives, such as wing
thrusters or triple screw configurations,
could also offer attractive solutions.
LNG
One of the challenges related to the use of
LNG is its storage onboard. LNG requires
more space than conventional diesel
fuels. The volume of LNG is about 1.8
times that of HFO with an equal energy
content. However, LNG is usually stored
in cylindrical pressurized double wall tanks
to keep the temperature low and allow for
a design pressure of 10 bars. The size of
the compartment housing these cylindrical
tanks is about 4 times that of HFO tanks
built into the steel structure of the vessel.
The larger volume needed for LNG means
that a traditional tank arrangement will
not offer the range desired.
Fig. 5 – Fast tender boats launched from storage compartments in the aft of the ship.
48 in detail
The rules (IMO interim guidelines)
furthermore stipulate that LNG tanks
should not be closer than B/5 from the
ship’s side. The guidelines also say that
there should be separate access to the
compartment housing the tanks from
an outdoor deck. Considering these
facts, instead of the conventional fuel
location on the tank top in front of the
machinery compartment, a new tank
arrangement offers the better solution.
The Handy Cruise Ship has three
Wärtsilä LNGPacs, each with a capacity
of 465 m3 (90% net filling) giving a total
capacity of 1395 m3. The average daily
consumption for a typical cruise profile
is about 45 tons (105 m3) of LNG. The
cruise ship can therefore make a 12 day
cruise without re-fuelling.
The C-type tanks used onboard are 35 m
long, and require a large space. They have
been located on the bulkhead deck in
the stern below the pool deck, between
the tender boats. This location is quite
beneficial, since the long length does not
interfere with watertight bulkheads. Access
to the compartment is also easy to arrange
from the outdoor mooring deck in the stern.
The gas ventilation pipe from the tanks is
led to the top aft end of the superstructure,
where the vent mast is located more than
10 m above the uppermost deck.
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Fig. 6 – Dual-fuel electric machinery concept.

Bunker station
The bunker station is located in the stern,
close to the storage tanks to allow for short
piping. The stern location is also beneficial
from a safety point of view, as there are no
cabins located above the bunker station.
Furthermore, passenger access can be
controlled since there are large windscreens
on the aft sun deck that prevent passengers
from accidently creating a source of
ignition close to the bunker station.
The intention is that the ship will be
bunkered from a barge or small LNG
tanker, as the volumes are so great that
fuelling from trucks would be impractical.
Dozens of trucks would be needed to
provide the required amount of fuel.
Fig. 7 – The cruise ship is bunkering LNG from a special LNG bunker
and storage barge.
Availability
One of the other challenges related to the
introduction of LNG as a marine fuel is its
availability. This tends to be the proverbial technology involved in the bunkering
“chicken and egg” situation. It is often said process should be further developed.
that operators do not want to buy LNG Wärtsilä is actively taking part in these
fuelled vessels before the fuel is available discussions, and is developing different
worldwide. Similarly, gas suppliers do not solutions for bunker logistics, such as
want to invest too much in distribution bunker barge designs.
infrastructure before there are sufficient
LNG customers. Happily, this is changing Comparison
in the marine market. People have come The new concept, with LNG as the main
to realise that the marine bunker market fuel, has been compared to alternative
holds great potential for LNG, and there technologies to determine its economical
are active players willing to arrange bunker feasibility. The one essential is that all these
supplies. A new build project takes a few alternatives should comply with coming
years to design and build, so there is time emission regulations for sailing inside
enough to get the fuel supply in place. Sulphur and NO OX Emission Control Areas
Operators need to plan the bunkering in (SECAs and NECAs). The easiest way
advance, and to establish some long term to meet these targets with conventional
agreements with suppliers. Also, the fuels and current technology, is to operate

in detail 49
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on expensive low sulphur fuels, such as

MGO, and have diesel engines equipped
20,000
with SCR to reduce NO OX emission below
Tier III levels. Another often mentioned
18,000 approach is to operate on cheaper HFO
Scrubber
operating costs with a higher sulphur content, and to use
(NaOH + FW
16,000 + Senitec Chem)
exhaust gas scrubbers to remove most of
Annual machinery related cost [k€]

the SOOX emissions. The new LNG concept

14,000
SCR
will be benchmarked against both of these
operating costs alternatives. All three machinery solutions
12,000 are based on the same electric power plant
Maintenance principle with twin shaft propulsion.
10,000 costs
The power demand is only adjusted to
reflect the small difference in load demand
8000 Lubrication oil
costs
directly related to the type of fuel used.
6000
CAPEX
Fuel costs
4000 The use of LNG will generate some extra
investment costs, as the tanks are quite
Annual capital
2000 costs costly and the DF engines are slightly more
expensive than conventional diesel engines.
0 However, there are also clear cost savings,
LNG MGO HFO as no HFO equipment is needed. Removing
all tank heating and pipe trace heating will
reduce building costs, which will partly
compensate for the additional price tag.
The LNG cruise ship requires about
Fig. 8 – Annual machinery related costs (10 years, 6% interest). 3000 m3 more space onboard than
a conventional HFO ship of the same
capacity. The additional building costs are
estimated at 2 M€. When the additional
price for the LNG equipment is added,
the total price difference between the LNG
and a conventional MGO fuelled cruise
ship is about 9.5 M€. The difference,
compared to a ship with SCR and scrubber
running on HFO, is about 5.5 M€.
20,000 Scrubbers
Lifecycle comparison
SCR To counter the extra investment, the
Machinery first cost [k€]

LNG cruise ship offers potential for clear

15,000 Fuel system
(LNG tank etc.) operating cost savings, as well as much
better environmental performance.
Installation The fuel energy consumption is about 12%
+ outfitting
10,000
lower for the LNG fuelled ship. The heat
Larger hull demand is lower since there is no need for
HFO heating. In addition, the coolness
Steering
of LNG can be used for AC cooling, and
5000
Propolsion train thus reduce the electric power demand
onboard. The market price for LNG is also
Gensets very competitive compared to diesel based
+ generators
0
fuels, including HFO.
LNG MGO HFO
It is hard to predict future oil and gas
prices, but we believe that the price of oil
will increase more than gas. Taking into
account the need to switch to low sulphur
fuel in the future, this will further increase
the cost for vessels running on diesel fuels.
Fig. 9 – Investment cost comparison. This makes LNG look ever more attractive.

50 in detail

50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
Net present value [k€]
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5000
0
LNG
Fig. 10 – Net present value (NPV) for the machinery options relative to
the MGO case for a 10 years period.
In the study, the LNG price is assumed to
be 13 $/mmBTU, which is clearly above
today’s market price for gas in the US.
In making the comparison, the current
market prices for HFO (~474 €/ton,
650 $/ton, 16,9 $/mmBTU) and MGO
(~715 €/ton, 980 $/ton, 24 $/mmBTU)
are used. With these assumptions, the
annual fuel cost savings are about 3.2
M€ for a typical operating profile. The
fuel costs of the LNG ship are some
30% below that f the HFO vessel.
In addition, the very clean gas fuel
will offer clear maintenance savings.
The interval time between engine overhauls
will be extended, and the engine room
will remain much tidier and require less
cleaning work. In addition, Wärtsilä can
offer Dynamic Maintenance agreements
for further savings. These allow the
condition of the engines to be followed
up with CBM (Condition Based
Maintenance) procedures, and the service
intervals are adjusted so that parts are only
replaced when needed. This also ensures
better reliability and higher availability.
Net present value
The annual operating costs for the LNG
cruise ship are calculated to be almost
4.3 M€ lower than those of the HFO
version, and 7.5 M€ less than the MGO
alternative. The NPV difference from 10
years of operation, favours the LNG concept
over the HFO ship by about 26 M€.
WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
MGO HFO
This includes the extra CAPEX costs
arising from the higher initial price.
The payback time for LNG is estimated
to be 1.3 years compared to both the HFO
and MGO options.
CONCLUSIONS
Using the assumed fuel prices, the economic
performance is in favour of the LNG
concept. The actual savings potential,
not to mention the significant reduction
in emissions, is so substantial that LNG
is clearly a viable alternative for new
passenger vessel projects. There are still
some things that need to be developed
relating to the gas supply, but by working
with the flag states and class societies
a smooth introduction process can be
ensured. In addition to the promising
results from the LNG machinery, the new
handy size cruise ship also reveals some
other interesting features to consider for
coming projects. The layout with the new
tank locations, the pool deck location,
the wider hull with extended promenade
decks, the fast tender boats, and the cost
efficient superstructure, might all offer
beneficial and interesting solutions.
The design is based on well proven and
reliable technology that is available today.
Orders can be placed without need to wait.
In the meantime, Wärtsilä will continue
to develop new concepts and promote
the introduction of new and better
technologies for passenger ships.
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A U T H O R : M a r t i n T h o r s s o n , M a n a g e r, M a r k e t i n g & C o m m u n i c a t i o n , W ä r t s i l ä i n S w e d e n

Ecosystems are put at risk by
organisms transported from their
natural habitat, and the IMO has
regulations pending to control
the issue. Wärtsilä’s ballast water
treatment system is a ready solution.
It started with the zebra mussel, or
Dreissena polymorpha. Originally found
in southeast Russia, it became famous as
the first clearly identified stowaway
organism after appearing in the United
Kingdom in the 1820s, in Sweden in the
early 1900s, and suddenly in the Great
Lakes of North America in 1988. Having
been carried in the ballast water of
oceangoing vessels, the mussels quickly
adapted to their new habitat. There they
multiplied and overtook parts of the local
ecosystem, in many cases with disastrous
results for the original fauna. Ballast water
was identified as the main culprit - the
zebra mussels had simply travelled in
the ballast tanks of vessels from Europe.
To prevent this biological tourism, several
ballast water management guidelines came
into force, specifying that the water in
the ballast tanks should be exchanged at
intervals between ports in order to limit
the distance between loading and discharge.
Simple ballast water exchange turned
out not to be enough, however, as the
ballast tanks would never be completely
empty, meaning smaller organisms could
stay inside the tanks throughout several
exchanges. Therefore the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) introduced
the Global Ballast Water Convention in
2004, mandating that ballast water must
be treated prior to release in another
ecological zone. The treatment should
either kill or render any organisms
incapable of reproduction. However,
the convention is still not in force, and
for this to happen, 30 nation-states and
35 percent of the world tonnage must
ratify the treaty. Right now, the count is
27 states and just above 25 percent of
the world tonnage. Final ratification is
expected to happen in late 2011 or early
2012. All vessels will then need to comply
with the new regulations at latest by 2016.

52 in detail
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

The intention of the coming regulation

is to eliminate the transfer of organisms
from one ecological zone to another,
where they might cause severe damage to
existing ecosystems. Besides the obvious
positive effects on biodiversity, there
are also potentially huge cost savings
to be made from a global perspective.
A 2007 UN paper cites studies where
the annual total global costs relating to
invasive species are calculated to be a
ϭ
staggering 1400 billion US dollars.
Fig. 1 – During ballast water
F
i
intake, water passes
Following the regulations t
through both the filter and
The coming regulations limit the number t UV disinfection stages.
the
of allowable organisms of certain sizes and
types as per Table 1. Of note is the fact
that the US Coast Guard is proposing
a set of regulations that over time will
be much stricter than the global IMO
guidelines. Vessels destined for US
ports will have to comply with both.
Also important is that the organisms
need not in fact be removed from the
water - it is enough to render them
incapable of reproduction. The technology
chosen by Wärtsilä to achieve this goal
in as secure a way as possible, is a two-
step treatment process of robust filtering
coupled with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.
During ballasting operations, i.e. when Fig. 2 – During de-ballasting,
ballast water is taken aboard, larger water bypasses the filtration
particles and organisms are filtered out in and passes through
the first stage, and the remaining living the UV disinfection only.
organisms are killed or neutralised in the
second, UV irradiation stage. During de-
ballasting, i.e. when ballast water is

Table 1 – The regulations in brief. It seems likely that the US Coast Guard regulations will come into force earlier than
the IMO regulations, meaning vessels destined for US ports will need to comply earlier than vessels in other areas of the world.

US Coast Guard
IMO
Phase 1 Phase 2

Organisms > 50 μm < 10 < 10 < 0,01 / m³

Organisms 10 – 50 μm < 10 < 10 < 0,01 / ml

Escherichia coli < 250 < 250 < 126 cfu* / 100 ml

Intestinal enterococci < 100 < 100 < 33 cfu* / 100 ml

Toxicogenic vibro cholera <1 <1 <1 cfu* / 100 ml

Implementation year 2012 2012 2016

*) cfu = colony-forming units

1
UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, October 2007.

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discharged into the sea, only the UV stage
is in operation in order to treat any
organisms that may have been present
in the ballast tanks prior to ballasting.
The system has been developed together
with Trojan Marinex, the marine water
solutions division of Trojan Technologies.
Trojan is the world’s largest and most
experienced UV solutions provider, with
more than 6500 municipal water treatment
facilities in more than 80 countries relying
on their proprietary technology to safeguard
health and the environment. The alliance
with Wärtsilä combines Trojan’s world-
class water treatment technology, with
the marine know-how and excellent sales
and aftermarket support functions of
Wärtsilä. This clearly benefits customers
and both companies alike.
Treatment stages and effects
The first stage in the treatment process is
a duplex mesh filter made of stainless steel,
and equipped with an automatic backflush
function. The filter pore size of 40 um
safely removes all of the larger organisms.
The pore size is also sufficiently small to
reduce the amounts of sediment in the
water, which in turn supports the next
stage of the treatment process. Compared
to competitive systems, the filter stage is
designed to notably reduce the filter
loading rates. As stated above, the filter
stage is only in operation during ballasting
operations.
Table 2 – Germicidal effectiveness. The highest results are achieved with UV wavelengths between 245 and 270 nm.
The Solo LampTM used in Wärtsilä’s BWT solutions has a wavelength of 254 nm, shown as a red dot in the diagram.
100
90
0
80
0
Germicidal effectiveness [%]
70
0
60
0
50
0
40
0
30
0
20
0
10
0
0
210
54 in detail
After the filter stage, the ballast water
enters the UV stage, where remaining
organisms are subjected to ultraviolet
irradiation. UV irradiation is generally
seen as one of the safest disinfection or
sterilization procedures in existence.
Two factors determine how effective the
system is at performing its function. One
is the length of time that the organism is
subjected to irradiation, and the other is
the wavelength of the light. The Wärtsilä
Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) solution is
designed with both these factors in mind.
The ballast water flows through a maze of
vertically placed lamps. The relatively small
distances between the individual lamps are
to allow for the treatment of poor quality,
turbid water. Because of the high number
of lamps in the Wärtsilä solution, there is
very little risk of an organism making it
through the UV stage without being
irradiated from all sides for a sufficient
period of time. Fewer lamps and greater
distances between them might mean that
other matter in the water could “shadow”
an organism, enabling it to pass through
the irradiation stage unharmed.
The wavelength of the UV light also has
to be in the correct range for maximum
effect. The efficacy of UV light for microbial
disinfection peaks in wavelengths between
245 and 270 nm. The Solo LampTM, which
is used in the Wärtsilä BWT solution, is
a result of Trojan Technologies’ extensive
research. It offers the high electrical
Solo Lamp
pTM
Peak zone
220 230 240 250 260 270
Wavelength [nm]
efficiency of a low pressure UV system,
while delivering UV irradiation with
a wavelength of 254 nm, well in the
peak range for optimal efficacy. At the
same time, the power consumption is
among the lowest on the market, with
an estimated power draw of 25 kW for
the 500 m3/hour BWT 500i system.
Individually certified
The Wärtsilä BWT units are available in
several sizes with different capacities, as
shown in Table 3. All units are designed
as integrated enclosures containing both
treatment steps. The reasons behind this
innovative design are many; it minimizes
the required installation space, optimizes
the water flow through the complete
treatment process, and allows for a more
stable and predictable system. The units
can then be multiplied in order to fit
the actual capacity required. The small
footprint also allows for easy installation,
maintenance, and access during service.
As part of the integrated design,
each size version is tested and certified
individually. Although this could be seen
as a drawback as it requires additional
resources and extensive testing procedures,
it also constitutes a much higher level of
safety for the end users. Each size version
of the units will be optimized individually,
securing the highest treatment efficiency
regardless of the actual amount of water
being processed.
280 290 300
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

The Wärtsilä BWT system product

range is presently undergoing testing,
both in the laboratory and at sea, with
final certification of the first size version
expected later this year. Ex-classed versions
for use in explosion-classed environments Product Capacity Testing finalized Type approval
are being designed and tested in parallel.

Challenges that lay ahead

Even though ratification of the IMO
Ballast Water Convention is rapidly BWT 250i 250 m³/h Nov 2011 Q4 2011
approaching, there are still a number of
unsolved questions. For instance, the
procedure for determining the biological
content in ballast water is still rather time-
consuming. It is a highly labour-intensive BWT 500i 500 m³/h May 2011 Q4 2011
process, and impractical for checking
every vessel on every voyage. Will ships be
allowed to continue their voyages while
their samples are being analyzed, or will
they have to lay idle? Will there be BWT 750i 750 m³/h Nov 2011 Q4 2011
exemptions for certain types of vessels?
Will scaled-up systems be allowed and
accepted worldwide? From what we can
determine today, there will undoubtedly
be some uncertainties arising from the BWT 1250i 1 250 m³/h Aug 2011 Q4 2011
ratification of the convention. The aim of
Wärtsilä, together with its technology
partner Trojan Marinex, is above all to
limit the effects of such uncertainty and
instead deliver confidence and safety to our
customers – both now and for the future.

Table 3 – The Wärtsilä BWT product range with proposed release dates.

in detail 55
indetai
 [ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]
[ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]

A U T H O R : S a n n i L u o m a n s u u , S o l u t i o n s S a l e s M a n a g e r, A i r & E n e r g y, W ä r t s i l ä E n v i r o n m e n t a l S e r v i c e s

Wärtsilä has been developing and
testing scrubbing technology for
removing sulphur oxides (SOX) from
the exhaust gases of diesel engines
since 2005. The first commercial
marine scrubber project agreement
for a main engine has now been
signed.
The agreement made with Containerships
Ltd Oy covers the retrofitting of
a Wärtsilä fresh water scrubber system for
the company’s Containership VII vessel,
which is equipped with a Wärtsilä 7L64
main engine.
Strengthened regulations governing
SO
OX emissions from ships are driving the
marine industry’s search for solutions
aimed at reducing such emissions. In
particular, vessels operating in Sulphur
Emission Control Areas (SECA) are
affected. The Containerships VII is a
Finnish short-sea carrier operating in
the North and Baltic Seas SECA area.
Containerships Ltd has selected the
Wärtsilä SOOX scrubber system, since it is
an efficient and cost-effective alternative to
the use of low sulphur fuel to meet both
current and future emission requirements.

Fig. 1 – The container vessel M/S Containerships VII will be equipped with a Wärtsilä’s scrubber.

56 in detail
 WÄRTSILÄ TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Working principle off treatment units, will be located in front

The Wärtsilä scrubber works with fresh
water boosted by NaOH to create a strong
alkaline solution. As a result of the
chemical process, SO OX emissions, are
neutralised to sulphates in the scrubbing
water. A small amount of bleed-off,
extracted from the scrubbing water, is
cleaned in the bleed-off treatment unit.
Clean effluent, fulfilling all the quality
and monitoring requirements stipulated
by the IMO, can then be discharged
to the sea. The process is monitored
constantly. In so-called zero discharge
mode, the effluent is led to a buffer tank
for periodical discharge. Contaminants
removed in the bleed-off treatment
unit are always disposed of at the
appropriate reception facilities in port.
of the superstructure on the port side.
The Containerships VII scrubber
solution will be in operation before
the end of 2011. For Wärtsilä, the
agreement with Containerships Ltd.
represents an important step forward in
the exhaust gas scrubbing market.
NOTE
Please see also the press release 19 January
2011 “Wärtsilä delivers a marine scrubber to
Containerships Ltd”, or e-mail sox@wartsila.
com for more information.

Containerships VII solution

Onboard the Containerships VII, fresh
water is produced using a fresh water
generator. NaOH is stored in the existing
heavy fuel oil tank, which will be modified
for NaOH storage purposes. The tank
will be coated internally, and heating
will be arranged in order to keep the
temperature between 25 - 35϶C, which
is the recommended storage temperature.
The alkali feed unit, located close to
the NaOH storage tank, automatically
monitors the pH value of the scrubbing
water, and thus its cleaning efficiency.
The scrubber unit, built entirely from
highly corrosion resistant materials, will
be located on the port side of the exhaust
gas funnel. The gas inlet to the scrubber
unit is arranged in the lower section.
Scrubbing water is pumped from the
wet sump, through the seawater heat
exchanger, to the top part of the scrubber
and sprayed into the exhaust gas flow.
The water absorbs the SO OX, heat and
other components from the exhaust gas. Fig. 2 – The scrubber unit and equipment container onboard
The 40 foot equipment container, which Containerships VII.
includes amongst other things the bleed-

in detail 57
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but not limited to, strategic plans, potential growth, planned operational changes, expected capital expenditures, future cash sources and requirements, liquidity and cost savings that involve known
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in, or implied by, the following forward-looking statements, possibly to a material degree. All forward-looking statements made in this publication are based only on information presently available
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