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Wartsila, through its joint venture company CSSC Wartsila Engine (Shanghai) Co (CWEC), has been contracted to deliver 16 engines for four new LNG carrier vessels being built at the Hudong Zhonghua shipyard in China.

Each of the four 174,000-cubic-metre-capacity vessels will be fitted with four Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel generating sets running primarily on LNG fuel to provide the ships with auxiliary power. Their total power output will be 56 megawatts (MW).

According to Wartsila, the 34DF engine was chosen due to its "proven reliability, efficiency, and economic fuel consumption".

Delivery of the engines to the yard is slated to commence in the second half of 2018. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2019.

"This valuable order once again emphasises Wartsila's leading position in gas and dual-fuel engine technology," said Lars Anderson, Vice President, Engine Sales, Wartsila Marine Solutions. "The order also confirms our growing presence in China and our ability to serve the Chinese market."

34DF engine

The Wartsila 34DF engine features advanced dual-fuel technology, and is hailed for its high energy efficiency. It is used for both main engine and generating set applications.

The Wartsila 34DF is manufactured in configurations from 6 to 16 cylinders, giving 500 kilowatts (kW) per cylinder and a total maximum mechanical output of 8,000 kW. The engine speed is 720 to 750 revolutions per minite (rpm).

Based on the Wartsila 32 diesel engine introduced in the mid-1990s, the engine's fuel flexibility means that it can be optimised for constant-speed generating sets, as well as for variable-speed mechanical drives in main engine applications.

The Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel engine was upgraded in 2013 with a higher maximum continuous rating (MCR) and better efficiency than its earlier version, the first of which was delivered in 2010.

Furthermore, Wartsila says the efforts made to upgrade the propulsion performance with controlled-pitch propellers (CPP) are now being applied to fixed-pitch propellers (FPP).

The 100th Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel marine engine was delivered in 2016.