(HELSINKI) — Technology group Wartsila is introducing another four methanol engines to its marine propulsion portfolio, setting a new industry benchmark with the broadest selection of methanol engines currently on the market. In addition to the Wartsila 32 methanol engine launched last year, the company has added the new Wartsila 20, Wartsila 31, Wartsila 46F and Wartsila 46TS to its list of engines capable of operating with methanol fuel.
Methanol is one of the primary alternative fuel choices for the shipping industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. For example, “green” methanol can be produced using renewable energy sources and carbon capture technology, making it a sustainable and carbon-neutral option. It can also be rather easily integrated into existing shipping operations as it can be stored and transported using the existing infrastructure for conventional liquid fuels.
Throughout the Wartsila diesel engine portfolio, covering both new engines as well as those currently in operation, Wartsila is developing the corresponding methanol retrofit capabilities. Methanol upgrades are either available or under development for the Wartsila 31, Wartsila 32, Wartsila 46F, Wartsila 46TS and Wartsila ZA40S engines, whereas the Wartsila 20 engine family can be ordered with methanol combustion capabilities. By making these engines capable of running on methanol fuel, Wartsila has expanded its methanol offering to a wide range of vessel types across the marine industry.
“Decarbonization is front and center to our strategy going forward, and the development of engines capable of running on future fuels is crucial to that. Wartsila takes an innovative approach to supporting the marine industry’s transformation to more sustainable operations, and this broad range of methanol engines emphasizes this,” said Roger Holm, president of Wartsila’s Marine Power business.
Wartsila is one of the few marine engine builders with extensive experience of methanol engines, having converted the first of four engines on the ferry Stena Germanica in 2015. Last year, the Wartsila 32 methanol engine and MethanolPac storage and supply system were launched, becoming one of the first commercially available solutions for using methanol as a fuel in the maritime industry.
The Wartsila 32 Methanol engine has received type approval certificates from several classification societies. The four new methanol engines will be available for deliveries at different points from 2025 onward.
– Wartsila
