Feature 3
Wärtsilä doubles its four-stroke
Persistent strong demand has brought significant worldwide investments
from Finnish propulsion specialist Wärtsilä.
Engine production line in the Wärtsilä
D
ue to the recent strong demand
for ships worldwide, shipyards
Vaasa factory.
and shipowners have faced
difficulties in acquiring engines for
their newbuildings. Delivery times of up manufacturer in China of fixed-pitch
to three years have been common for all propellers.
main engine manufacturers. With new Other new businesses included the
investments in Italy and Finland the acquisition of the marine business of
four-stroke engine production capacity Railco, UK. The company specialises in
at Wärtsilä has been doubled, helping to synthetic stern tube bearing technology
match demand. and adds water-lubricated bearing
In September, Wärtsilä inaugurated technology to Wärtsilä’s product
its new engine production facilities portfolio. Another company acquired
in Trieste. The €18m investment, was Electrical Power Engineering
which includes two new production (Scotland). A re-conditioning workshop
lines, increases the capacity for engine of diesel engines for ships and power
assembly and testing. Wärtsilä’s Trieste plants was established in Shanghai,
delivery centre turns out four-stroke China and another in Vietnam.
engines of types Wärtsilä 26, 38, 46, In May the company signed a licence
46F, 50DF, and 64 with a power range agreement with Vietnam Shipbuilding
between 1.7MW to 25MW. Industry Corp (Vinashin) for the
A further €30m investment was manufacture and sale of low-speed
made in Wärtsilä’s Vaasa Plant, also marine engines in Vietnam. Wärtsilä
inaugurated in September, increasing is also proceeding with a similar plant
the size of the production plant by one in China, with China Shipbuilding
third. The new premises include a new Industry Corp and Mitsubishi Heavy
assembly hall for engines, a logistics assembly line using air cushions. Industries, with production estimated
centre, and testing and final assembly In fact, Wärtsilä’s worldwide investments to begin in autumn 2008. Bryansk
facilities for gas engines. A new last year exceeded €200m. In South Korea, Engineering Works in Russia is also to
operating model of the entire factory for example, the construction of a new begin producing low-speed marine diesel
was also introduced. In the assembly joint venture manufacturing plant with engines under a licence agreement for
area a modern production line concept Hyundai Heavy Industries for Wärtsilä yards in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and
has been taken into use and revised 50DF dual-fuel engines for LNG carriers Bulgaria. Production of engines with a
logistics solutions reduce internal traffic is underway. Last autumn Wärtsilä had bore size up to 82cm is to begin in 2009.
in the factory area. received orders for 206 Wärtsilä 50DF In 2007, Wärtsilä also reorganised
Changes in material handling improve engines for 52 LNG carriers. The Yeongam into five Ship Power customer segments.
flow and efficiency of operations. The factory is scheduled to produce some 100 Merchant, Offshore, Cruise & Ferry,
new facilities cover an area of some engines per year, beginning from the Navy, and Special Vessels are now
40,000m
2
. In three years the staff in second half of 2008. supported by a joint technology office,
Vaasa has been increased by some Elsewhere, increases in the production Ship Power Technology, responsible
600 people. Wärtsilä today employs capacity of propulsion, gearboxes, and for product and solution support and
some 2500 people in Vaasa. The plant controllable pitch propellers in India, The development. The aim is also to better
produces Wärtsilä 20, 32, 32DF, and Netherlands, and Norway are expected prepare for market fluctuations. This
34SG -type engines. to be finalised in 2008. The fixed-pitch reorganisation also led to a merger of
Both in Vaasa and Trieste the engines propeller production capacity in Chinese the propulsion divisions of the company,
are now turned out using a car-factory joint-venture company Wärtsilä CME with the R&D and manufacturing
style assembly line, with assembly Zhenjiang Propeller Co doubled last year functions merged with the Wärtsilä
done at several stages along the line. through the establishment of a second Engine Division, into Wärtsilä Industrial
The engines are transferred along the plant. The company is now the biggest Operations. NA
The Naval Architect February 2008 77
NA Feb 08 -
p77.indd 77 05/02/2008 09:49:50
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