Wartsila?s propulsion system selected for PLN?s CNG carrier
Friday, February 6 2015 - 01:07 AM WIB
Finnish energy equipment maker Wartsila Corporation said that its propulsion system has been selected by Indonesia?s state-owned electricity company PT PLN to be used in its compressed natural gas carrier vessel.
The vessel is currently being built at the Jiangsu Hantong shipyard in China, Wartsila said in a statement Thursday. The order with Wartsila was placed during the fourth quarter, 2014, it added.
The new vessel will feature a 9-cylinder Wartsila 34DF dual-fuel main engine operating primarily on gas. Wartsila will also supply the controlled pitch propeller and gearbox, all of which will be fully integrated so as to optimize the propulsion efficiency.
This will be the first dual-fuel powered vessel owned by PLN. The Indonesian government?s policy is to promote the utilization of natural gas as a marine fuel because of its environmental advantages.
?This (world?s) first ever CNG carrier to be built is indicative of the growing importance of natural gas as a fuel for both land based and marine applications. We are proud to have been selected to provide the propulsion system for this ship, which is designed with efficiency and sustainability as the main criteria,? says Sanjay Verma, Area Sales Director, Wartsila Ship Power.
?We expect that this CNG carrier will be a model for other Indonesian owners as the government?s policy is to promote energy efficient and cleaner sea transportation through the use of gas fuelled engines. W?rtsil? has always been at the forefront of making it possible for gas to be utilized as a marine fuel, and has tremendous experience and expertise in this area,? says Suryadi Mardjoeki, head of oil-based fuels and gas division at PLN.
The 110-meter long carrier is scheduled to be in operation in May 2016 and will transport CNG from Gresik in East Java to the Indonesian island of Lombok where the gas will be used to fuel a power plant.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak