Wärtsilä has recently been awarded a series of orders to supply propulsion solutions for dredger vessels to be built in China and the Netherlands. Since dredging applications are typically very demanding, the high reliability of the Wärtsilä solutions was a key element in the award of all three project orders.
Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading systems integrator, will provide the engines and fixed pitch propellers (FPP) to Van Oord, the Netherland-based dredging and marine contractor with global operations. The equipment installation is for the “Artemis”, the second of two large self propelled cutter suction dredgers being built for the company at the IHC Dredgers shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. The equipment order for the first vessel, the “Athena”, was placed earlier in 2008. Both vessels will be powered by three Wärtsilä 6L46F engines, and will feature Wärtsilä FPPs. The Artemis is due to be in operation by the second quarter 2013. The customer’s need was for light and very powerful engines, with quick response and high reliability, a requirement that the Wärtsilä products meet in full. Additionally, Wärtsilä is currently negotiating a Dynamic Maintenance agreement with Van Oord.