---

Wärtsilä has been contracted to supply the power system for four new diesel-electric powered tugs being built for Svitzer Australia Pty Ltd.

The vessels are being built at the ASL shipyard [pictured] in Singapore, and are scheduled to be in operation by early 2014.

Commenting on the news, Wärtsilä said: "The contract again represents confirmation of Wärtsilä's ability to meet the demands for operational economy and environmental sustainability set for modern vessels in different shipping segments."

Each of the four 80 Ton Bollard Pull (TBP) harbour tugs will be fitted with two 9-cylinder and one 8-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 20 engines. The use of the Wärtsilä 20 engines as diesel-electric generating sets is a new development in the tugs market.

The engines will operate on marine gas oil (MGO). The tugs will be equipped with batteries that allow power from the Wärtsilä generating sets to be stored for later use.

"Modern tugs need to feature both fuel efficiency and environmental sustainability, as well as lifecycle reliability. This contract represents further evidence of Wärtsilä's strength in meeting these demands, and further emphasises our ability to offer sophisticated diesel-electric machinery solutions for this particular sector of the marine industry," said Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President, Wärtsilä Ship Power Specials.

"By selecting Wärtsilä 20 engines for the diesel-electric generating sets, the owner will benefit from their robustness and reliability, which has been proven by the fact that more than 4000 of the engines have been delivered since this model was introduced to the market in the early 1990s. The Wärtsilä 20 offers low exhaust gas emissions, low operating costs, fuel economy across the entire engine operation range, and high redundancy," added Bresnahan.

Wärtsilä has previously supplied integrated propulsion solutions for two Svitzer Tier III compliant Ecotugs.

Image: ASL Shipyard, Singapore.