IHC Parts & Services, part of IHC Merwede, and Wärtsilä Netherlands (WNL) have teamed up to provide life-cycle support for ships with Bolnes and Smit Bolnes engines. The companies will combine their industry knowledge, expertise and strength to maintain these dredging and other vessels worldwide in order to extend product life cycles, reduce owners’ costs and meet the latest environmental legislation.

Ships fitted with Bolnes and Smit Bolnes engines are on average 30 years old and over. The plants where these engines were built, closed years ago. Therefore it is increasingly difficult to find parts, yet there are still over 300 ships with (Smit) Bolnes engines in operation. The most valuable components of a dredging vessel are those that are specifically used for dredging and the systems for propulsion and energy supply.