---

Finnish firm Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Tianjin Dredging Company, part of the China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) and the recently founded Dredging Group, under which Wärtsilä will supply the engines and all essential ancillaries for a new self-propelled cutter dredger.

Wärtsilä's scope of supply, which includes three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 32 engines, also features an interface to the external systems, including the latest Wärtsilä Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) system.

Wärtsilä's CBM and remote monitoring solutions are designed support the daily operation of the installation by applying the company's experience and operational know-how to keep the thermal and mechanical load at an optimum level. They are also said to enable savings in fuel consumption, whilst simultaneously providing greater environmental sustainability.

The ship is being built at the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries shipyard in China. The contract was signed in June.

The 140-metre-long vessel will have a maximum dredging depth of 35 metres with a cutter power of up to 7500 kilowatts (kW). It is scheduled to be delivered in October 2017.

"We have a strong relationship with Wärtsilä and we are confident that they can provide the technology and support needed to make this project a success," commented G.M Liu Chang Yun, Ship New Building Management Department, Tianjin Dredging Company of CCCC.

Hans Laheij, Area Sales Director, Wärtsilä Ship Power, remarked: "This ship will be one of the largest and most modern self-propelled cutter suction dredger ever built, and the biggest in the world in terms of pump capacity. Reliability and operational efficiency are, therefore, essential and we are proud that Wärtsilä solutions have been selected to achieve these requirements."

Wärtsilä and CCCC have a long term strategic cooperation agreement, signed on April 1st 2014, under which the companies work closely together on more efficient power and propulsion configurations. The aim of the agreement is to create solutions for CCCC's newbuilds that maximise their environmental sustainability and cost efficiency.