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Wärtsilä has announced that it has been contracted by Finland-based Arctia Offshore Oy to carry out modification work on two of the company's vessels. The contract was signed in September 2011.

The turnkey project involves the fitting of combined Wärtsilä NOx Reducer (NOR) and Oxidation Catalysts (OXI) to the MSV Fennica [pictured] and MSV Nordica, both of which are multi-functional vessels based on a modified icebreaker design. The ships will also be converted to enable the use of Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) fuel.

Once the conversion work is completed, Wärtsilä says the vessels will fulfill the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) emission requirements for operating in the Arctic Ocean, which, the company says, will open up the possibility for Arctia Offshore to participate in arctic oil exploration projects in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The work will involve fitting the combined Wärtsilä NOR/OXI solution to each of the eight engines that drive the two vessels. The installation schedule is divided into two parts, with the first set scheduled for completion by the end of December 2011, and the second set by the end of April 2012.

"This represents yet another example of Wärtsilä's competence in designing integrated solutions that are both technically advanced and environmentally sustainable. The conversion work that we will carry out on these two offshore service vessels will not only reduce their environmental impact, but will notably enhance their operational capabilities by allowing them to work in the sensitive environment of the Arctic Ocean," said Leonardo Sonzio, Director Environmental Services, Wärtsilä.