The technology group Wärtsilä has presented a new, particularly low-emission version of its “31DF” engine.
When running on LNG, the new engine version can reduce methane emissions by up to 56% and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by up to 86% at a load point of 50%.[ds_preview] On average, the new technology can reduce methane emissions by 41% more than the standard “31DF” engine, which already has the lowest emission levels on the market, according to the company.
The new version, which is used in one of the four engines on board Wasaline ‘s “Aurora Botnia”, has already helped the Finnish-Swedish ferry operator to reduce the RoPax ferry’s methane emissions by a further 10%. Wärtsilä tested the ultra-low emissions concept on board the Aurora Botnia as part of the EU co-funded Green Ray and SeaTech projects. The results were confirmed in an independent study by VTT, the Technical Research Center of Finland, in December 2022.
Wärtsilä and Wasaline forge long-term partnership
The latest collaboration is part of a long-term partnership between Wärtsilä and Wasaline to reduce emissions on board the Aurora Botnia, currently the world’s greenest RoPax ferry, according to the company.
“It is a purposeful partnership that will benefit both companies and the industry as a whole. We are pleased that ‘Aurora Botnia’ can be used as a floating laboratory and are excited to see the success of this latest technological breakthrough from Wärtsilä,” comments Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline.
Although methane emissions from engines are relatively low, in percentage terms they are up to 28 times greater thanCO2. Across the shipping industry, reducing methane emissions is one of the most effective ways to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from engines over the next decade, complementing other efforts to reduceCO2 emissions.
