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Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo have announced the launch of the next phase of the HERCULES research programme - an initiative which aims to achieve reductions in fuel consumption and sustainable energy production from marine power plants.

Phase III of the HERCULES programme, HERCULES-C, aims to integrate several technologies in order to reduce emissions and optimize the efficiency and long-term reliability of marine engines.

HERCULES-C is planned to run for three years, from 2012 to 2014, with a budget of EUR 17 million. This brings the total HERCULES research programme budget, which includes the earlier HERCULES-A and HERCULES-B projects, to EUR 76 million.

Objectives of HERCULES-C Phase III project

The first objective of the present HERCULES-C project is to achieve further substantial reductions in fuel consumption, while at the same time optimizing power production and usage. Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel aim to achieve this through advanced engine developments in combustion and fuel injection, as well as through improvements in ship energy management and the use of engine technologies supporting transport mission management.

The second objective is to maintain the performance of engines throughout their operational lifetime. This involves advanced materials and tribology developments to improve efficiency and reliability, as well as sensors, and monitoring and measurement technologies to improve the controllability and availability of marine power plants.

The third specific objective of HERCULES-C is to achieve near-zero emissions by integrating the various technologies developed in the previous collaborative research efforts.

Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo are estimated to cover around 90 percent of the world's marine engine market. The two groups have been collaborating in the HERCULES programme since it was conceived in 2002 to develop new technologies to increase marine engine efficiency. In so doing, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, as well as gaseous and particulate emissions can be reduced, while engine reliability will be increased.