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Wartsila has been contracted to supply the engines for a new LNG-fuelled research vessel being built for the German government.

The Finnish firm is to also supply exhaust cleaning systems based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology and the LNGPac system for complete fuel gas handling.

The SCR technology will be needed when the engines are running on conventional marine diesel fuel if the vessel exhausts its supply of LNG on long voyages.

The vessel is under construction at the Fassmer shipyard in Germany and will be owned by Bundesamt fur Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency. The new 75-metre-long ship Atair will replace its 30-year-old namesake, and is set to be the first German research vessel to operate on LNG fuel.

The full scope of Wartsila's supply for the Atair is two 6-cylinder Wartsila 20DF dual-fuel engines capable of running on either LNG or conventional liquid fuels; one 6-cylinder Wartsila 20 engine; two exhaust cleaning systems; and a Wartsila LNGPac fuel storage, supply, and control system.

The engines will have Tier III classification since the dual-fuel engines comply with this classification when running in gas mode, and all the engines will be compliant when operating on diesel because of the Wartsila SCR systems.

Wartsila has also agreed to supply the engines and SCR systems for three German Federal police boats to be built at the Fassmer yard.

"Our dual-fuel technology is unique when it comes to small bore medium speed engines, and the extended service intervals and economic fuel consumption of the Wartsila 20DF engine enable lower operating costs than is possible with high speed engines. We have worked closely with the Fassmer shipyard and are proud to have once again been selected to supply the machinery and equipment for this important project," said Lars Anderson, Vice President, Engine Sales, Wartsila Marine Solutions.

"As the new Atair will be the first vessel in our fleet with LNG technology, we rely on the experience and expertise of Wartsila with respect to the engines and LNG tank equipment. With Wartsila's dual-fuel and SCR technologies, the vessel will fulfil the IMO's Tier III regulations in all operational conditions, whether sailing on LNG or on diesel fuel," commented Kai Twest, Head of Ships and Equipment Division at BSH.

The Wartsila equipment is scheduled to be delivered to the yard in mid-2018, and the Atair research vessel is due to enter service in early 2020.

Image: Rendering of the Atair - set to be the first German research vessel to operate on LNG fuel.