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The 500th engine factory acceptance test (FAT) was completed for Wartsila 50DF engine at the Wartsila-Hyundai Engine Company facility in Mokpo, South Korea. This was achieved in about 8 years, since the factory's completion in 2008.

The first Wartsila 50DF engine was introduced 13 years ago for a 74,000-cubic-metre LNG carrier which was the first LNG carrier to be powered by electric propulsion, and one of first to have internal combustion engines.

Wartsila 50DF

Designed to give high output with fuel flexibility, low emissions, efficiency and reliability

The engine can be run on either natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO), and can smoothly switch between fuels whilst operating. It is designed to provide the same output regardless of the fuel.

The Wartsila 50DF engine operates on the lean-burn principle. Lean combustion enables a high compression ratio, which in turn increases engine efficiency, reduces peak temperatures, and therefore also reduces NOx emissions.

Both the gas admission and pilot fuel injection are electronically controlled. The engine functions are controlled by an advanced automation system that allows optimal running conditions to be set, independent of the ambient conditions or fuel type.

Fuel flexibility

The technology enables the engine to be operated on either natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO), and switching between fuels can take place seamlessly during operation, without loss of power or speed. This ensures safety and continuous installation operability. The Wartsila 50DF engine is designed to have the same output regardless of the fuel used.

One of the reasons for the strong success of this particular engine over the alternatives is its superior propulsion efficiency. The clear environmental advantages that operating on gas allows, is another factor in the success of this technology. When operating in gas mode, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are at least 85 percent below those specified in the current IMO regulations, and CO2 emissions are some 25 percent less than those of a conventional marine engine running on diesel fuel. Additionally, the sulphur oxide (SOx) and particle emissions are negligible at almost zero percent.

Applications

Wartsila's advanced dual-fuel technology was first launched in the early 1990s for use in land-based power plant applications. The first marine installation of the 50DF engine came a decade later.

The fitting of Wartsila 50DF engines onboard the first LNG Carriers in 2006 set a trend in the industry. Since that introduction, 65 percent of all new LNG Carriers have been fitted with Wartsila dual-fuel engines.

In addition to its success in the LNG Carrier market, the Wartsila 50DF engine is increasingly being considered by owners and operators throughout the shipping industry. For example, in the cruise and ferry sector, where it is often necessary to operate in Emission Control Areas (ECAs), there is growing awareness of the advantages of operating on gas.

Similarly, vessels serving the offshore oil and gas industry are increasingly being fitted with Wartsila dual-fuel engines. The need for flexibility, fuel efficiency, and compliance with stricter environmental regulations, are the drivers behind this trend.