The technology group Wärtsilä will supply the main and harbour engines for a series of seven new Arctic Shuttle Tanker vessels being built at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) yard in South Korea. The order, which is valued at more than EUR 100 million, was placed with Wärtsilä in December 2021.

The vessels will each feature six highly efficient Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel main engines operating primarily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel, and two Wärtsilä 20 harbour engines. All will be fitted with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for emissions abatement. By selecting Wärtsilä as the sole supplier for this large scope package, system compatibility and procurement interfacing is simplified, which in turn eases installation work and reduces project risk.

“The Wärtsilä 31 series of engines has set a benchmark in efficiency for the industry. The diesel version has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine, and all versions of the Wärtsilä 31 engine series have the same high focus on efficiency. This is important for vessels such as these operating in Arctic waters, where operational reliability and environmental sustainability are of critical importance,” says Östen Lindell, Sales Director East Asia & China, Wärtsilä Marine Power.

“We are delighted to work with Wärtsilä to provide main and auxiliary power as well as emissions abatement for this series of highly capable vessels,” says Youngkyu Ahn, Vice President, Samsung Heavy Industries.

The 120,000 DWT vessels are Arc 7 classified and have icebreaking capability. The Wärtsilä engines are designed to operate reliably at temperatures as low as minus 45 degrees C. SHI has considerable experience in building ships of this type.

The Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yard commencing in Q4 2022, and the ships are expected to be ready for commissioning between 2024 and 2027.