Wärtsilä has been contracted to upgrade the performance of four vessels owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), a Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) subsidiary, by retrofitting the Wärtsilä fuel efficiency boost solution into the main engines of the vessels.
The change would minimize fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emission levels. The order was placed in the first quarter of 2020 with Wärtsilä.
KOTC and other major shipowners who have taken a proactive approach to protecting the environment actively looking for ways to minimize their fuel consumption and carbon footprint, paving the way for them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Wärtsilä solution for selected Wärtsilä RT-flex and earlier deliveries of two-stroke X-type engines is based on two-stroke engine optimization technology. The four KOTC very large crude carriers (VLCCs) will be retrofitted to operate with 7-cylinder Wärtsilä RT-flex82T two-stroke main engines.
The vessels are to be retrofitted with the Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Upgrade over the coming six months.
“Our smart marine approach is dedicated towards raising efficiencies and improving the environmental sustainability of marine operations. The Wärtsilä fuel efficiency boost is completely aligned with this philosophy, while at the same time lowering operating costs.”
Riad Belaid, area sales GM, Middle East & Asia, 2-stroke & specialized services, Wärtsilä.
“By modifying the main engines of these carriers, we are assured of operating with the latest technology and having the best operational efficiency. We know and trust Wärtsilä’s high quality products and systems, and we appreciate the excellent support they offer.”
Ali Shehab, acting CEO KOTC.
The Wärtsilä fuel efficiency boost is a well-balanced combination of an improved compression ratio and adjusted injector nozzles. It makes fuel savings of up to 4 percent in conjunction with optimized engine tuning parameters.
The pilot installation showed a lower fuel consumption of about 10~12 tons per day than a sister vessel operating the same route, resulting in fuel savings of 1195 tons over the 9-month pilot duration.
