Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the methanol-fuelled auxiliary engines for five container vessels for Cosco Shipping Lines and seven container vessels for the Orient Overseas Container Line.
Methanol-fueled container vessels
The Orient Overseas Container Line’s 24,000 TEU ships are to be built at the Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering yard, and the Cosco Shipping Lines’ 24,000 TEU ships at the Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering yard. The vessels are expected to commence commercial operations in 2026.
Wärtsilä 32M engine
Each vessel will operate with three eight-cylinder and two six-cylinder Wärtsilä 32M engines. According to Wärtsilä, this is the Chinese maritime sector’s largest order to date for methanol-fuelled new-build vessels.
To complement the solution, the ships will be equipped with the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust cleaning systems and alternators. These will be supplied through Wärtsilä’s joint venture company, CWEC (Shanghai) Company.
The Wärtsilä 32M methanol-fuelled engine has received type approval certificates from several classification societies around the world. Studies have shown that using methanol instead of heavy fuel oil can cut CO₂ and other GHG emissions. In particular, green methanol derived from renewable sources could achieve a further reduction in carbon footprint and thus become one of the central decarbonization solutions for carriers in the future.
Decarbonization in shipping
“With decarbonization, a major priority for the maritime industry, sustainable fuels, such as methanol, will play a vital role in helping shipping to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions,” said Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine and executive vice president at Wärtsilä Corporation.
“As a leader in shaping the decarbonization of marine and energy industries, Wärtsilä continues to make strong investments in developing new fuel-flexible technologies and products that enable the industry’s transition toward greener fuels. It’s why we value our long-term relationship with Cosco Shipping Lines and OOCL and are strongly aligned with their vision in accelerating toward net-zero emissions shipping.”
In related news, technology group Wärtsilä, through its joint venture company, CWEC (Shanghai) Company, was recently selected as a supplier to deliver four 34DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines for the sixth and final vessel in a series of six new-build 175,000m3 LNG carrier vessels. Click here to read the full story.