In Detail 01 - 2011

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL
Twentyfour7.
issue no.
01
2011
TORY
COVER S
4
0
N
G
I
S
DE ture page
ENERGY
14 Gas engines
The Wrtsil 18V50SG - a worthy
competitor to gas turbine technology
25 Controlling NOx
emissions
Integrated SCR solutions
for HFO applications
MARINE
31 IMO Tier III

Operating prole should
determine fuel choice and
propulsion concept
52 Treating
ballast water
Innovative new method
is safe and effective
[ WWW.WARTSILA.COM ]
f o r th e f u
indetail
The problem of critical

components becoming
obsolete within as little as
ve years requires good
proactive measures.
(More on page 21)
issue no. 01.2011
Dear Reader
WE ARE PROUD to present a new edition of In Detail.
In this issue of the magazine we introduce some of the
ongoing initiatives from each of our business areas.
ALL OF OUR initiatives are based on the fact that
we are committed to getting the most out of our
solutions and technologies. When we look at oil
prices reaching, and even exceeding 100 USD/barrel,
and knowing that fuel costs in many cases represent
around 60% of our customers operational costs, the
relevance of our solutions becomes crystal clear.
Contents
ENERGY
New power plant design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04
Lifecycle cost knowledge, part II . . . . . . . . . 09
The worlds largest gas engine . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Obsolescence management services . . . . . 21
SCR technology development . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
MARINE
Meeting IMO Tier III rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
The Wrtsil control &
communication center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Handy size LNG cruise ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Safeguarding biological diversity . . . . . . . . . 52
First order for Wrtsil SOX scrubber . . . . . . 56
iPad
THIS ISSUE OF IN DETAIL is also available

in an iPad version in Wrtsil iPublication
application via the Apple Appstore.
Publisher: Wrtsil Corporation, John Stenbergin ranta 2, P.O.

Box 196, FIN-00531 Helsinki, Finland | Editor-in-Chief: Marit
Holmlund-Sund | Managing Editor and Editorial Office:
Minna Timo | English editing: Tom Crockford, Crockford
Communications | Editorial team: Krt Aavik, Stephane
Debiastre, Niklas Haga, Marit Holmlund-Sund, Tom Kreutzman,
Dan Pettersson, Marialuisa Viani, Virva iml | Layout and
production: Otavamedia Ltd., Kynmies, Helsinki, Finland |
Printed: May 2011 by PunaMusta, Joensuu, Finland ISSN
1797-0032 | Copyright 2011 Wrtsil Corporation |
Paper: cover Lumiart Silk 250 g/m, inside pages Berga Classic
115 g/m
E-mail and feedback: indetail@wartsila.com
in detail
AND, MOREOVER, we have a unique combination of

innovations to oer. By introducing more ecient
solutions to the market, we signicantly lower the cost
per ton/mile, per container/mile, or per kW hour for our
customers. At the same time, greater eciency also results
in improved environmental performance, from which we
all benet. For me, it is truly motivating knowing that we
are contributing in both dimensions with our solutions.
to energy eciency and environmental

sustainability, through our multi-fuel strategy we have
secured exibility in our customers operations. Over the
course of the years, this fuel exibility has resulted in
breakthrough developments in several segments, rst in
power plants, then in LNG-carriers, and more recently
in a number of other marine segments as well. One
recent example is that of oating production, storage
and ooading (FPSO) owners opting for our dualfuel technologies instead of traditional gas turbines!
IN ADDITION
TO STRIVE towards the best solutions for our customers
is not only about fuel and technologies, but also how we

achieve the best CAPEX (capital expenditure) solutions,
through intelligent overall design, seamless integration, and
optimized control of all relevant systems inuencing overall
performance, be it onboard a ship, an FPSO, or an onshore
power plant. And equally important, how can we ensure
the best overall OPEX (operating expenditure) performance?
We know we already have a very large inuence on the
TCO (total cost of ownership) for our customers. Expect us
to come up with even stronger ideas, proposals, and value
propositions regarding TCO during the months to come.
For it is only by putting our strong performance into a
lifecycle perspective, that we
can become recognised as
the most valuable business
partner to our customers.
I HOPE you will nd
this issue of In Detail
to be eye-opening!
Arne Birkeland
Vice President &
Head of Marine Lifecycle
Solutions.
Contributing Editor
for this issue of In Detail.
WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL | WWW.WARTSILA.COM
NEW LNG CRUISING CONCEPT
REFERENCES
Wrtsil's concept for a cruise ship running on LNG

offers savings in costs and emissions. PAGE 44
More gas power
Cutting emissions
First order
The Aksa Samsun power

plant in Turkey is the rst
to be powered by the new
Wrtsil 50SG, the world's
largest four-stroke gas
engine.
The Wrtsil HFO power

plant in Punaroo, Tahiti
was able to reduce
emissions through
integrating the engines
with SCR technology.
Wrtsil has signed a

commercial marine scrubber
project agreement with
Containerships Ltd.
MORE ON PAGE 14
MORE ON PAGE 25
MORE ON PAGE 56
in detail 3
[ ENERGY / IN DETAIL ]
Designs for the future

A U T H O R : N i k l a s W g a r, G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, E l e c t r i c a l a n d A u t o m a t i o n , Po w e r P l a n t Te c h n o l o g y, W r t s i l Po w e r P l a n t s
The New Power Plant Design is

a new, clean look being given to all
new Wrtsil power plants. Apart
from appearance, it will also enhance
functionality and safety.
in detail
First impressions are important, even when

seeing a power plant for the rst time.
It gives the customer an insight into the
quality of the power plant, and of the
company that built it.
Knowing that appearance can be
a reection of reliability and quality,
Wrtsil is unveiling its New Power Plant
Design concept the new look for all its
future power plants.
The rationale behind the New Power
Plant Design is to provide a unied,
harmonised design throughout all Wrtsil
plants, and one that incorporates aspects

of the companys corporate branding.
At the same time, the new design is
centred around the security and safety
elements that are essential for any plant.
The concept is a groundbreaking
initiative that gets the most out of
integrated form and functionality. The
look and structural solutions, including
the buildings, interior spaces and layouts,
control interfaces and signs, are consistent
throughout the Wrtsil power plant
concept range.
WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011
Attention to detail
The New Power Plant Design supports
Wrtsils approach that its plants provide
a multi-engine smart power generation
alternative. The same harmonised
architectural design will be extended across
all its future installations from small,
containerised plants, to Oil and Gas Cubes,
and on up to the larger oil and gas power
plants. It will even be employed in power
barges and gas and pump compressor
stations.
The idea for a new-look plant was
hatched during an innovation session that
discussed what the power plant of the
future might look like. One of the aims of
the session was to conceive a power plant
that not only performed well, but that was
also aesthetically attractive.
Two years ago, an external industrial
design company was hired to look at
Wrtsils current building structures. This
survey covered various parts of the power
plant exterior, such as the engine hall, as
well as the control room. Based on this
draft, a detailed concept was made by
Wrtsil and the external design company
in close co-operation with Power Plant

Technology and Civil Engineers.
It was widely agreed that any new design
should be easy to achieve, incurring little
or no additional cost to the customer.
It was also important that construction
and delivery time would remain
unaected by the new cosmetic design.
The focus, therefore, was mainly on
items such as colouring and the look and
design of the signs. Modications to the
building structures were minimized. Apart
from the signs and control panel, the
engines and engine hall interior remain
largely untouched, retaining the
functionality of good lighting and ample
maintenance space, along with the familiar
Wrtsil look.
There were various factors, and key
considerations that inuenced the design.
These included the need to ensure an
ecient, modern, powerful, hi-tech,
reliable, professional, safe, and user-friendly
plant, and all were essential elements within
the design process. Wrtsils product
identity was also part of the input to
the industrial design team.
Fig. 1 The grey colour palette with

a dash of Wrtsil orange is used in
the new design.
in detail 5
The New Power Plant Design provides

a clean, functional design that pays close
attention to details, such as presenting
information in a clear and consistent
way, throughout the entire power plant.
The local setting is also taken into
account, so that the plant architecture and
colour harmonises with its environment.
Certain parts of the construction are
diminished to reduce visual impact.
The plant exterior is grey to give a stylish,
futuristic impression. The Wrtsil orange
is used on certain parts of the exterior,
as well as on all signs (Figure 1).
Control room
The appearance of a power plant is
particularly important in developing
countries, where the look of the plants
exterior and surroundings are often strongly
emphasised. In all countries, the control
room is seen as being very important, as it
is in some ways the business card of
the plant.
Whether it is because of appearance,
or simply that it has an air-conditioned,
low noise environment, the control room

is the part of the plant that is always
displayed during any tour by external
visitors. The control room, therefore,
represents the largest visible change
inside the power plant building.
The re-design of the control room has,
however, been more than purely cosmetic.
With plant operators manning the area
around the clock, this is an important
area of design. Wrtsil has strived to
deliver an attractive design that also oers
ergonomic benets, and that is more
operator-friendly. Special attention has
been paid to overall comfort factors, such
as noise, air quality and optical reections.
Equipment and xtures are comprised
of modular components. For example,
semi-circle desks are used so that extra
seats can easily be added to accommodate
any number of personnel. Tables have a
xed height suitable for 97.5 per cent of
all people. A seat cushion or oor support
will provide a comfortable operating
position for the remaining 2.5 per cent
of people below the design height.
Fig. 2 The control room represents the largest visible change inside the power plant building. Special attention has been paid
to user-friendliness, ergonomics and overall comfort covering factors such as noise, air quality, and optical reections.
in detail
Fig. 3 The upper menu of the graphical user interface, WOIS.
The control room also includes a meeting

area for visitors.
The graphical user interface, WOIS, the
Wrtsil Operators Interface, has also been
improved for greater clarity and ease-of-use
(Figure 3). Operation of the human
machine interface is also optimized so that
click-through and mouse movement, for
example, are minimized for faster reaction
in the unlikely event of an emergency.
The user interface software design is now
common for all services and operational
programmes. The new interface gives
a good overview of every parameter,
including the ongoing processes, potential
alarms and reports. The control panels
follow the same logic, and the coherent
graphic design makes them easier to use.
Numbering the generating sets

One notable advantage of Wrtsils smart
power generation systems is their cascaded
conguration, whereby multiple engines
allow operators to provide fast, exible
power for applications such as
wind-rming.
This multi-engine perspective is
highlighted in the New Power Plant Design
through clear numbering of the generating
sets in the engine hall, control panels and
user interfaces. Clear, coherent signs make
orientation easy, and are an added safety
measure inside the engine halls.
In fact, all signs are clearer, and much
more coherent, throughout the plant.
For example, doors are clearly marked, and
there is an information sign at the plant
entrance area providing information
in detail 7
and a map of the entire site (Figure 4).

To simplify daily operations and
improve safety, an active colour system
with clear signs has been utilized. Colours
have been selected according to perception,
and signs are systematically arranged in
alphabetical and/or numerical order for
easy reference. They are unmistakable and
strategically placed in order to be clearly
visible from dierent angles and distances.
Controls are colour coded in a systematic
manner, contain fewer meters, and are
logically numbered according to the
appropriate generating set. Easy-access
emergency stop buttons provide improved
safety.
Reecting excellence
From an engineering point of view, the
changes are not signicant. However, this
initiative demonstrates how industrial
design can be part of the R&D and
engineering processes, and that good
architectural design oers benets with
minimal or no cost impact.
Having this rst harmonised design will
make future developments in plant design
easier, since it will be part of the thought
process for the entire Wrtsil team from
R&D engineers to sales and marketing.
The New Power Plant Design is now
implemented in all civil architectural
drawings and is ready for delivery. The
rst plant to feature the New Power
Plant Design architecture will be the
Suape II power plant currently under
construction in Brazil, where the
new eye-catching design will herald
the shape of things to come.
in detail
Fig. 4 The information sign at the plant entrance.
Knowing lifecycle costs aids power plant

investment decisions, part II
A U T H O R : A n d r e a s B a c k , M a n a g e r, W r t s i l D e v e l o p m e n t a n d F i n a n c i a l S e r v i c e s
In the previous issue of In Detail

(02/2010) we looked at the impact of
ambient and operational conditions
on power plant lifecycle performance
and costs. Here we try to establish
a format to compare Wrtsils
FlexicycleTM concept to combined
cycle gas turbines.
As concluded in the In Detail 02/2010

article, understanding how lifecycle
costs (LCC) should be calculated and
incorporated into the decision making
process is vital for power plant investments.
Through a simple example case we saw
that by adding ambient conditions, like
temperature and altitude, together with
ageing, and some corrections for starts and
stops, part load operation, and equivalent
operating hours, the original LCC gap
between the Wrtsil reciprocating engine
and the gas turbine solution vanished
(Figure 1). Starting from a discounted
dierence of EUR 48 million in favour of
the combined cycle gas turbine solution
(CCGT), we ended up with a
EUR 19 million gap in favour of

the Wrtsil simple cycle concept.
Comparing a simple cycle (SC) power
plant to a combined cycle (CC) plant
might not be the optimal starting point
in all cases. As a CC requires additional
equipment, more space and the availability
of water, while at the same time oering
generally higher base load eciency, the
two concepts are not necessarily competing
against each other from the customers
point of view. Furthermore, industrial
gas turbines are not even intended for use
in SC mode, as a lot of potential power
is intrinsic within the high exhaust gas
temperature. This means, therefore, that a
lot of economic gains are to be had
in detail 9
through optimally capturing the exhaust

gas heat content. Reciprocating engine
based combined cycle plants are not
able to recover as much power from
their lower exhaust gas temperature,
but do nevertheless, oer additional
benecial features due to the high
simple cycle eciency and exibility.
That the combined cycle concept is
tightly associated with gas turbines is
easy to conclude simply by searching
the web. Google gives 267,000 hits
searching for combined cycle and gas
turbine, whereas combined cycle
and reciprocating engine give 17,500
hits. The combination of two or more
thermodynamic cycles gives the best results
in improved overall eciency and reduced
fuel costs for gas turbines. This is because
in SC mode, they are far less ecient than
engines and therefore release more waste
energy through exhaust gases. Indeed, the
general perception is that a CC power
plant is in unison with a CCGT, a general
understanding that is slowly changing as
engine based CC solutions become more
and more competitive. To illustrate this
competitiveness, Wrtsil has introduced
a new concept, the Flexicycle. As the
second cycle is combined with a highly
ecient rst cycle, the eciency remains
at a very competitive level at any given
point with the Flexicycle concept. Under
applicable ISO conditions, assuming
allowed tolerances, the plant would ramp

up to 48% eciency in 10 minutes in SC
mode, and then reach more than 53%
gross eciency after an additional 50
minutes in CC mode. If minimal output
is required, the CC mode can be switched
o on the run, moving to a SC mode with
even further engine load reductions, while
still maintaining the same 48% eciency.
For a CCGT, the same change could
lead to a drop of over 20% in eciency.
Actions like these will impact the LCC,
and in this article we will examine the
lifecycle performance of a Wrtsil
Flexicycle solution to a CCGT in order
to assess their true costs to the owner.
Comparison
Some contemporary CCGTs can reach
and exceed 60% eciency under gross
ISO conditions with allowed tolerances,
while most of them are quoted in the 5560% range. Modern combined cycle gas
engine (CCGE) plants, again, perform
at eciencies of 50-55% according to
brochure data. In base load operation
with market price fuel, high eciency
is extremely important, and there is
undoubtedly an advantage in favour of the
CCGT if one would blindly trust these
numbers and not take real life factors
into consideration when calculating the
LCC. In the following example we will
put the two alternatives side by side, and
Fig. 1 Summarized effects of lifecycle cost adjustments.
Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step
480
460
440
MEUR
420
400
Wrtsil
380
CCGT
360
340
320
300
ISO
10
in detail
80% load
Ambient
conditions
Ageing
Compensating Additional
electricity from investment
market
for lost
output
O&M cost
due to
operations
Total
introduce certain scenarios in order to

simulate actual working circumstances.
As concluded in the previous article,
the LCC of a power generation facility
incorporate all foreseen costs associated
with the acquisition and the long-term
ownership of the asset over its entire life.
Capital expenditure includes the upfront investment cost, including but
not limited to material assets, working
capital, softcosts, and nancing costs.
The main operating cost items are
fuel, variable costs, and xed fees.
Just as in the previous comparison,
we shall focus on the main components
of a gas power plants LCC:
O Fuel
O Investment cost
O Operation and maintenance.
The following parameters are
used in the simulations:
O Net output demand: 250 MWe
O Gas cost: 6.5 USD/MMBtu
O Annual operating hours: 6000
O Lifetime: 20 years
O Fixed costs: EUR 200,000/month
O WACC: 12%
O USD/EUR FX rate: 1.4.
For this base load comparison we are
calculating the LCC for a Wrtsil
50SG Flexicycle plant and a CCGT.
The commercial and technical data for
the CCGT is derived from GT Pro1.

The eciency gure for both
alternatives includes tolerance, so in
order for the customer to assess the net
ISO performance, that number has
to be adjusted. For our selected plants
we nd that the total discounted LCC
(comprising fuel, O&M and WACC) of
the CCGT power plant at a net eciency
of 54.1% is EUR 552 million, whereas
for the Wrtsil Flexicycle solution
at 50.2%, it is EUR 609 million, a
dierence of EUR 57 million in favour
of the CCGT. The impact of the fuel
component is in its own league, and at
6070% of the total LCC, is by far the
single largest cost item for the owner.
Gas compression
Depending on the natural gas pressure in
the pipe, additional compression might
be needed for the gas turbine solution.
Engines, on the other hand, are able to
operate on very low pressure gas. For
compression purposes, the owner of a
CCGT plant must therefore invest in
a compressor, which adds to the capital
expenditure and leads to higher fuel
consumption. In our scenario, we assume
that the gas pressure must be increased by
10 bars, hence an additional investment
of EUR 5 million is required, and the
LCC goes up to EUR 560 million.
GT Pro is a global tool, widely used by

consultants, for configuring combined
cycle gas turbine plants. It contains both
commercial data as well as turbine specific
technical parameters.
Table 1 Technology specic assumptions.
EPC cost
Wrtsil assumptions (*)
CCGT assumptions (*)
(*) 13 x Wrtsil 50SG + ST
(*) based on a 2 x 2 x 1 conguration
582 EUR/kW
508 EUR/kW
Total investment cost (incl. IDC)
147 MEUR
130 MEUR
Construction time
24 months
24 months
Gross efficiency (respective ISO)
Variable fee
51.0%
4 EUR/MWh
55.3%
3 EUR/MWh
in detail 11
our average net eciency for the CCGT

now stands at 52.3 %, and the net output
at 212 MW. The corresponding values for
the Flexicycle are 49.1% and 253 MW.
Table 2 Technology specic assumptions.
Flexicycle
Net efficiency
CCGT
50.2%
54.1%
257 MW
256 MW
49.1%
52.3%
253 MW
212 MW
Original values
Net output
Net efficiency
Revised values
Net output
Impact of ambient
temperature and altitude
The physical location of the plant and
the ambient air pressure will impact the
performance of the plant, regardless of
the technology on which it is based. If
we change the ambient conditions from
ISO standards (15C at sea level) to a site
temperature of 30C, with 40% relative
humidity at 500 m altitude, the net output
for the CCGT decreases by 34 MW, from
254 MW to 220 MW, and the equivalent
LCC at the de-rated output increases by
EUR 3 million. For the Flexicycle, ambient
conditions and altitude has an impact
on output of 4 MW, down to 253 MW
from 257 MW, and the same resulting
EUR 3 million in increased LCC.
Impact of ageing
Time does treat the two alternatives
somewhat dierently. As seen in the
previous article, both the heat rate and
output of a gas turbine power plant are
hit as time elapses, whereas the Wrtsil
plant, also in Flexicycle mode, remains
more robust over a longer period of time.
Adjusting the lifecycle heat rate and
output with the same factors as in the rst
comparison (heat rate + 2% and output 3.5%) for the CCGT, and + 0.5% on the
heat rate for the Flexicycle, we nd that
12
in detail
Intermediate analyses
At this stage, the power plant investor
should look at the revised gures for
the planned performance of the plant.
As the aim here is to achieve a net output
of 250 MW at full load with as high
as possible eciency, it is worthwhile
comparing the revised values to the original
brochure data.
Under these given conditions, the
output of the CCGT has gone down by
some 20%. As this is not acceptable to
the owner due to the net output demand,
another turbine that performs according
to expectations must be chosen. Assuming
that the price/kW is constant for the
various CCGT options of this size, and
that dierent turbine types react to time
and ambient conditions in a similar manner,
we can choose a dierent conguration
for the CCGT in order to bring the net
output to the same 253 MW level as the
Flexicycle. This leads to an additional
investment of EUR 24 million.
Load correction
Now we have two options that can be
compared, a Flexicycle rated at 49.1%
lifetime eciency and a net output of
253 MW, and a CCGT at 52.3% and
253 MW. However, as in the previous
comparison, we need to adjust the
plant load from the 100% level that the
ISO numbers are based on, to a more
realistic level of 80%. The CCGT loses
an estimated 2.3% efficiency if the gas
turbines are run at 75% part load (as the
steam turbine is more ecient, the load
on the gas turbines must be lower to reach
a plant load factor of 80%), whereas the
Flexicycle is not impacted at all since the
engines can be switched o one by one
instead of running at part load. Our new
LCC basis is therefore EUR 524 million
for the CCGT solution and EUR 532
million for the Flexicycle, a dierence of
EUR 8 million in favour of the CCGT.
Dispatch prole
Dispatching 6000 hours at out at
80% load and then having 2760 hours
downtime is not a realistic running prole.
Even though CC plants are optimized
for continuous operation, we should
still incorporate a likely number of starts

and stops per annum, which could be
100 times/year, or twice a week. For the
CCGT, this will lead to an increase in
equivalent operating hours (EOH). In this
case, it is calculated to add one Euro to the
O&M bill, bringing this component up
from 3 EUR/MWh to 4 EUR/MWh.
This change adds an additional
EUR 9 million to the lifecycle cost for
the CCGT. Frequent starts and stops
are not an issue for the Flexicycle, and
therefore the impact on the LCC is 0.
Compensating cost
During a start up hour, over 90% of
full power is reached in SC mode for
the Flexicycle, and the corresponding
production during start up is 179 MW
out of the required 200 MW at 43%
average eciency. Conversely, with
the CCGT plant, due to the higher
dependence on the second cycle, start up
performance is substantially worse, with
120 MW being produced at an average
eciency of 30%. Assuming that the
owner needs to compensate for the lost
production at a market price of 100 EUR/
MWh, the additional NPV impact on the
LCC is EUR 6 million for the CCGT
and EUR 2 million for the Flexicycle.
CONCLUSION
In the previous article we found the

CCGT to have a higher lifecycle cost
than an SC Wrtsil solution. The
primary reason was the superior, and
highly ecient, load following dynamics
that the simple cycle Wrtsil solution
possesses. In this article we have studied
two combined cycle solutions one based
on gas turbines with high eciency but
with sensitive operational behaviour, and
a CCGE - the Wrtsil Flexicycle - that
is slightly less ecient under optimal
conditions, but very solid regardless of
operational prole or ambient conditions.
At the end of the day, the 4% units of
higher eciency and the EUR 17 million
in lower investment costs initially quoted
for the gas turbine solution generated an
LCC of EUR 541 million, compared
to EUR 534 million for the Wrtsil
Flexicycle, an advantage of EUR 7 million
in net present value for the Flexicycle.
If this analysis would have included
other factors, such as water consumption
and load following, or elements that are
economically harder to quantify, such as
fuel exibility and plant output availability,
the economical and operational advantages
of the Flexicycle solution would have
looked even more appreciable.
Fig. 2 Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step.
625
Flexicycle
602
565
545
Total
Compensating
electricity from
market
O&M cost due

to operations
80% load
Additional
investment for
lost output
Ageing
Ambient
conditions
Compressor
525
ISO
MEUR
CCGT
585
in detail 13
Introducing the worlds largest

gas engine
A U T H O R : M i k a e l W i d e s k o g , G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, G a s P l a n t s , Po w e r P l a n t Te c n o l o g y, W r t s i l Po w e r P l a n t s
14
in detail
Wrtsil has introduced the largest gas engine on the market. Based on the well-proven
technology of the Wrtsil 34SG and 50DF engines, the Wrtsil 18V50SG has an
output of 18 MW and offers an alternative to gas turbines for large power plants.
Power plants based on multiple engines

have many advantages. For example,
since operators need run only as many
engines as are required, they oer exible
power output with high plant eciency.
Operators can also carry out maintenance
without shutting down the entire plant.
But as plant sizes increase increase, there
is a need for units with higher output.
The most engines that Wrtsil has installed
to-date in a single plant, is the 28 Wrtsil
34SG units for a 270 MW power plant
in Turkey. This seems to be the point
at which operators tend to opt for gas
turbines due to their larger unit size.
With the introduction of its latest gas
engine Wrtsil can now oer a product
directly competing with the gas turbine
technology. By doubling the output of the
Wrtsil 34SG, the new Wrtsil 50SG
gas engine once again makes combustion

engines an attractive alternative to
gas turbines for large power plants.
Design and development
The Wrtsil 50SG is a four-stroke, sparkignited gas engine that works according
to the Otto principle and the leanburn process. The engine runs at 500 or
514 rpm for 50 or 60 Hz applications,
and produces 18,810 and 19,260 kW
of mechanical power respectively.
This represents maximum electrical
power outputs of 18.32 MW and
18.76 MW respectively, at which the
Wrtsil 50SG has an eciency of 48.6
percent at the generator terminals
2.3 percentage points higher than the
smaller Wrtsil 34SG. This is a big step,
since typically product improvements
Table 1 The output of the Wrtsil 50SG engine.
50 Hz/500 rpm
Table 2 Dimensions and weights of the

Wrtsil 50SG generating set.
18V50SG
Power, electrical
kW
Heat rate
kJ/kWh
7411
Electrical efficiency
48.6
60 Hz/514 rpm
result in eciency improvements

of around 0.5 percent per year.
The Wrtsil 18V50SG is based on
the same design principles as the wellproven technology used in the Wrtsil
34SG and Wrtsil 50DF engines.
As the engine was based on existing
technology, its development was very
quickly implemented. Development
started in 2008, and the rst 6-cylinder
laboratory engine was built in 2009.
Assembly of the rst customer engine
began the following year and its
testing was completed at the Trieste
facility by the end of 2010.
The engine frame is based on the
Wrtsil 18V50DF dual-fuel engine,
with the same advanced integrated
lube oil and cooling water channels.
The combustion system is based on
Lenght
mm
18 800
Width
mm
5330
Height
mm
6340
Weight
tonne
360
18 321
18V50SG
Power, electrical
kW
18 759
Heat rate
kJ/kWh
7411
Electrical efficiency
48.6
in detail 15
the Wrtsil 34SG, but has a larger

bore size to maximize the power
potential of the engine block.
Increasing the bore size from 340 mm
to 500 mm on a spark-ignited engine was
a key area of technology development.
In a modern gas engine, lean-burn
technology is a necessity in achieving
low emission levels without external
exhaust gas after-treatment. In lean-burn
technology, the charge in the cylinder
has far more air than is actually needed
for complete combustion of the gas.
Ignition of the extremely lean fuel
charge is very dicult, and the right
ignition technology is needed to provide
a high-energy ignition source.
The choice of ignition technology
most suited for a pure gas engine with
a large bore was discussed extensively
at the beginning of the project.
Spark ignition with a pre-chamber,
also known as SG technology, is used
on existing pure gas engines. However,
the consequences on performance
when scaling the technology to a
bore of 500 mm were unknown.
An alternative option of using a micro
pilot liquid fuel ignition through a prechamber was also proposed. This was
16
in detail
a new technology for Wrtsil, and

thus required more design and research
work. Furthermore, its performance
and possible consequential benets
were also unknown for this bore size.
Both concepts were tested and found
to perform equally well. Based on
proven reliability and lower cost, it was
decided to opt for the spark ignition
with pre-chamber technology.
Pre-chamber
The pre-chamber is the ignition
source for the main fuel charge, and
is an essential component of a leanburn spark-ignited gas engine.
It should be as small as possible to
deliver low NOX values, but big enough
for rapid and reliable combustion.
Extensive calculations and simulations
had to be performed to scale-up the
size and shape of the combustion
pre-chamber in order to ensure
the best combustion process.
In addition to the size and shape
of the pre-chambers, some of the key
design parameters considered were: the
mixing of air and fuel; gas velocities
and turbulence at the spark plug;
cooling of pre-chamber and spark
plug; and the selection of material.

Advanced three-dimensional,
computerised uid dynamics were
used during design to deliver:
O Reliable and powerful ignition
O High combustion eciency
and stability
O Extended spark plug life
O Very low NOX levels.
The engines use a ported gas admission
system, whereby gas is admitted
to the pre-chamber through a
mechanical, hydraulic-driven valve.
The gas admission valves are
located immediately upstream,
and are electronically actuated
and controlled to feed the correct
amount of gas to each cylinder.
Since the gas valve is timed
independently of the inlet valve, the
cylinder can be scavenged without
risk of the gas escaping from the
inlet directly to the exhaust.
Various parameters, such as engine
load, speed, and cylinder exhaust
temperatures, are monitored and used
as input to the Engine Control System
(ECS). The ECS is Wrtsils latest
UNIC (Unied Controls) C3 system,
which controls the entire engine.
This solution has proved to be
extremely reliable and it results in an
excellent mixture in the pre-chamber.
Ignition system
The Wrtsil 50SG ignition system has
been specically designed for the new
engine and is closely integrated with the
ECS. The ignition module communicates
with the main control module, which then
determines the global ignition timing.
The ignition module controls the
cylinder-specic ignition timing based
on the combustion quality. The cylinderspecic control ensures optimum
combustion in every cylinder with
respect to reliability and eciency.
The ignition coil is located in the
cylinder cover and is integrated into the
spark plug extension. The coil-on-plug
design minimizes the number of joints
between the spark plug and the ignition
coil, and thus increases reliability.
The spark plug has been specially
developed for long life, and to withstand
the high cylinder pressure and temperature
resulting from the high engine output.
Engine frame
The engine frame is based on the
proven design of the Wrtsil 50DF,
and the block is made from cast
iron. The engine has an under slung
crankshaft, which imparts high stiness
to the engine block and provides
excellent conditions for maintenance.
The engine block has large crankcase
doors to enable easy maintenance.
Cooling system
The Wrtsil 50SG is designed with a
Wrtsil open interface cooling system
for optimal cooling and heat recovery.
The system has four cooling circuits: the
cylinder cooling circuit (jacket), the low
temperature charge air (LTCA) and high
temperature (HTCA) cooling circuits,
and the circuit for the lube oil cooler
(LO) built onto the auxiliary module.
The LTCA cooling circuit and jacket
cooling circuit have water pumps
integrated within the cover module at
the free end of the engine coolers, and
the temperature of the water exiting
the jacket cooling circuit is controlled
by external thermostatic valves.
The default cooling system is a singlecircuit radiator unit whereby the cooling
circuits on the engine are connected in
series. For heat recovery applications,
each cooler can be individually connected
to an external cooling system.
Lubricating oil system
The engine has an engine-driven
lubricating oil pump and is provided with
a wet sump oil system. Before entering the
engine, the oil passes through a full-ow
automatic back ushing lter. A duplex
cartridge lter is installed in the back
ushing line, and both lters are equipped
with dierential pressure switches.
A separate pre-lubricating system is used
before the engine is started to avoid
engine wear.
Pistons
The pistons are of the low-friction,
composite type, with a forged steel top
and nodular cast iron skirt. Their long
life is ensured through the use of a skirtlubrication system, a piston crown with
shaker-cooling, hardened piston ring
grooves, and low-friction piston rings.
in detail 17
Piston ring set

The two compression rings and the oil
control ring are located in the piston
crown. This three-ring concept has
proven its eciency in all Wrtsil
engines. Most of the frictional loss from
a combustion engine originates from
the piston rings. A three-ring pack has
proven to be the optimal solution, oering
both function and eciency. In a threepack, each ring is dimensioned and
proled for the task it must perform.
Cylinder head
The engine uses four-screw cylinder head
technology. At high cylinder pressures
this technology has proven to be superior,
especially when liner roundness and
dynamic behaviour are considered. In
addition to easier maintenance and
reliability, it provides the freedom to
employ the most ecient air inlet and
exhaust outlet channel port congurations.
A distributed water ow pattern is used
for proper cooling of the exhaust valves,
the cylinder head ame plate, and the
pre-chamber. This minimizes thermal
stress and guarantees a suciently low
exhaust valve temperature. Both inlet and
exhaust valves are tted with rotators for
even thermal and mechanical loading.
18
in detail
corrosion-resistant precision bearing.

Crankshaft and bearings
The crank gear has to be able to operate
reliably at high cylinder pressures. The
crankshaft must be robust and the
specic bearing loads maintained at
acceptable levels. This is achieved by
careful optimization of the crank throw
dimensions and llets. The specic bearing
loads are conservative and the cylinder
spacing, which is important for the overall
length of the engine, is minimized. In
addition to low bearing loads, the other
crucial factor for safe bearing operation is
oil lm thickness. Ample oil lm thickness
in the main bearings is ensured by optimal
balancing of the rotational masses, and
in the big-end bearing by un-grooved
bearing surfaces in the critical areas.
Turbo charging system
The Wrtsil 50SG is equipped with
a single pipe exhaust turbo charging
system designed for minimum ow
losses on both the exhaust and air sides.
The interface between the engine and
turbocharger is streamlined, The engine
uses high-eciency turbochargers,
with the engine lubricating oil also
being used for the turbocharger.
Cylinder liner and anti-polishing ring

The cylinder liner features an antipolishing ring, which reduces lube oil
consumption and wear. The bore-cooled
collar design of the liner ensures minimum
deformation and ecient cooling. Each
cylinder liner has two temperature
sensors for continuous monitoring of
piston and cylinder liner behaviour.
Automation
All engine functions are controlled by
the UNIC C3 engine control system,
a microprocessor-based distributed
control system mounted on the engine.
The various electronic modules are
dedicated and optimized for specic
functions, and they communicate
with each other via a CAN databus.
Connecting rod and big-end bearings

The connecting rod is designed for optimal
bearing performance. It features a threepiece design, in which combustion forces
are distributed over a maximum bearing
area, and relative movements between
mating surfaces are minimized. The design
also allows the compression ratio to be
varied to suit gases with dierent knocking
resistance. The three-piece design reduces
the height required for piston overhauling.
Piston overhaul is possible without
touching the big-end bearing, and the
big-end bearing itself can be inspected
without removing the piston. The big-end
bearing housing is hydraulically tightened,
resulting in a distortion-free bore for the
Cylinder pressure control

Each cylinder is equipped with a
pressure sensor. The cylinders can be
individually set to run at their optimum
point to achieve the highest engine
power and eciency. This also applies if
operating conditions change, as in the
case of varying methane numbers and
ambient temperatures. Additionally,
this means that the engine can be run
with increased safety and reliability.
Cylinder pressure measurements provide
signicantly improved engine control.
From the signal emitted by the pressure
sensors, UNIC can instantaneously
determine the rate of heat release, the
magnitude and location of peak pressures
and the knock severity. The sensors can

also be used to determine the indicated
mean eective pressure, which is essentially
a measure of the power developed in
each cylinder. The sensor is designed to
withstand high cylinder temperatures
and pressures up to 300C and 300
bar. The maintenance interval of the
sensor equals that for the cylinder head
overhaul, i.e. around 16,000 hours. The
location of the pressure sensor is also
important. The measuring membrane
of each sensor is ush-mounted in
the combustion chamber, to ensure
measurement of correct and reliable data.
Main control module
The core of the engine control system
is the main control module. This is
responsible for ensuring the engines
reliable operation and for keeping the
engine at optimum performance in all
operating conditions, including varying
ambient temperatures and uctuating
gas quality. The main control module

reads the information sent by all the
other modules. Using this information, it
adjusts the engines speed and load control
by determining reference values for the
main gas admission, air-fuel ratio, and
ignition timing. The main control module
automatically controls the start and stop
sequences of the engine and the safety
system. The module also communicates
with the plant control system.
Cylinder control module
Each cylinder control module monitors
and controls three cylinders. The cylinder
control module controls the cylinderspecic air-fuel ratio by individually
adjusting the gas admission for each
cylinder. The cylinder control module
measures the knock intensity, i.e.
uncontrolled combustion in the cylinder,
which is used to control the cylinderspecic ignition timing and gas admission.
Monitoring modules
Monitoring modules are located close
to groups of sensors, which reduces the
amount of cabling on the engine. The
monitored signals are transmitted to the
main control module, and are used for
the engine control and safety systems.
The monitored values are also transferred
to the Wrtsil Operators Interface System
(WOIS) on the plant automation system.
Customer benets
In addition to higher eciency and
increased power output, another key
benet of the Wrtsil 50SG, as with all
Wrtsil engines, is its ability to run up
and down in load without aecting the
maintenance schedule. This is useful for
peak applications, or in markets where
there is a signicant amount of wind
power on the grid it can reach full
power in 10 minutes in the event of a
sudden drop in wind capacity. The engines
can also be stopped in one minute and
reloaded in just ve minutes, something
that is not possible with gas turbines.
Compared to gas turbines, the
performance of the engine is also less
sensitive to ambient conditions. There
is little drop-o in eciency or power
output at higher ambient temperatures.
Already customers are keen to take
advantage of this new engine. The rst
has been installed at the Aksa Samsun
power plant in Turkey, and will serve
as a pilot engine, allowing Wrtsil to
continue its eld testing. At the beginning
of March, an order was also placed by
Odas Elektrik Uretim, an independent
power producer, for the installation of
seven engines at its new plant at Urfa in
southeastern Turkey. Upon completion in
autumn 2011, the plant will supply 135
MW of electricity to the national grid.
The new Wrtsil 18V50SG sparkignited gas engine has been developed
in response to the increasing market
need for larger gas engines to run power
plants with outputs of up to the 500
MW range. It meets current and future
requirements for overall cost of ownership,
with very high simple and combined
cycle eciency. It is also designed for
easy maintenance and many hours
of maintenance-free operation.
in detail 19
REFERENCE: SAMSUN, TURKEY
The Aksa Samsun combined cycle plant will be equipped with the rst Wrtsil 18V50SG generating set.
THE NEW WRTSIL 50SG ENGINE MAKES

ITS DEBUT IN TURKEY
Wrtsil was awarded an engineering and equipment contract relating to the extension
of the Aksa Samsun power plant in Samsun, Turkey.
The Aksa Samsun power plant has been extended to incorporate
the Wrtsil 18V50SG engine, the latest addition to Wrtsils
gas engine portfolio. This is the very rst installation of the
Wrtsil 18V50SG unit, which features an exceptionally high
power plant efficiency rating of over 50 per cent in combined
cycle mode. In converting the Aksa Samsun facility from HFO
to gas-red operation, its environmental sustainability is
obviously enhanced. At the same time, the efficiency of the
new Wrtsil 50SG engine sets a benchmark for the industry.
The scope of supply also includes the controls,
automation and auxiliary equipment related to the fuel
gas, charge air, cooling and exhaust gas systems.
20
in detail
The Aksa Samsun combined cycle plant, owned by AKSA

ENERJI, currently operates using seven Wrtsil 18V46
engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO), six of which will
be converted to Wrtsil 18V46GD engines for gas-red
operation. When the Wrtsil 18V50SG engine has been
commissioned in 2011, the power plant will have a total
electrical output of approximately 130 MW in combined
cycle mode, which will be fed to the national grid.
Wrtsil already has a very strong presence in Turkeys
energy market, and expects to have delivered close to 3 GW
of power generating capacity by the end of 2011. Some 85 per
cent of these power plants will be running on natural gas.
Coping with component obsolescence

A U T H O R : J o h a n P e n s a r, G e n e r a l M a n a g e r, B u s i n e s s a n d P r o d u c t D e v e l o p m e n t , E l e c t r i c a l & A u t o m a t i o n S e r v i c e s
The lifecycle of common electronics

is getting ever shorter, and today
many electronic components have an
expected life of less than ve years.
This may lead to critical automation,
control or navigation systems being
rendered inoperable should
a critical component fail.
The nancial losses, in terms of lost

operation, resulting from the failure of a
simple component, may be quite out of
proportion to its relatively inexpensive
cost. It is, therefore, a clear economic
risk to neglect the actual and potential
problems caused by obsolete electronics.
Unplanned replacements of such obsolete
components may also become somewhat
expensive, since the ad-hoc nature of the
replacements may have unexpected eects
when other components become obsolete.
Another challenge is the fact that it is
also becoming harder to keep track of
which systems are still supported, and to
predict the remaining life-time of systems.
Meanwhile, more components are being
used in an installation, and the warning
time is getting shorter. In practice, it may
be close to impossible for the owner of

an installation to implement ecient
obsolescence management, and to keep
track of even the most critical components
to secure their availability.
This is where Wrtsil's modular upgrade
solutions, as well as the company's
obsolescence management services, come in
as ways to manage the risks. The modular
upgrade solutions provide a cost-ecient
way to upgrade and modernize the
installation, while Wrtsil can provide
obsolescence management services for
the complete installation adapted to the
customer needs. With these services and
solutions, the risk for unexpected
component availability problems will be
minimized, and the risk of severe operational
outage due to obsolescence will be reduced.
in detail 21
Modular upgrade solutions

In order to retain high availability of the
installation in a cost-ecient manner,
Wrtsil has introduced modular upgrade
solutions. The solutions provide a model
for obsolescence driven modernizations
that can be tailored to the owner's
strategic targets. Similarly, the owner is
able to pro-actively budget and plan the
actions needed, avoiding reactive and
urgent re-ghting. In addition, modular
upgrades also allow the installation to
be gradually modernized to meet new
regulations, increase usability, and ensure
safety. As the modernization packages
for dierent equipment are planned
to work together, an investment in
modernizing one part of the installation
will automatically make it compatible with
other modernization modules, in line with
a well balanced long-term upgrade plan.
Modularity is not only motivated by the
possibility to plan and spread investments
over time, but is primarily motivated by
the fact that components typically become
obsolete in dierent cycles. Therefore,
some components may already have
been replaced several times, before other
components are even getting close to
becoming obsolete. Typically, machinery
and primary controls (e.g. engine and
propulsion controls, voltage regulators,
etc) as well as conventional automation
systems (PLCs and DCS controllers) are
supported by the availability of spares for
at least 15 years from delivery. On the

other hand, systems based on commercial
computers (PCs) have a lifecycle of only
a couple of years, while their operating
systems (e.g. MS Windows) although
supported for up to ten years will
require regular updates several times a
year in order to stay secure and stable.
The idea behind modular upgrades is
shown in Figure 1. Here, the lifecycle of
dierent types of components is indicated
and the dependencies between dierent
system levels have also been considered.
Typically, machinery controls (engine,
propulsion, generator, etc) may be used
for up to 10 to 15 years without anything
other than normal maintenance and
tuning before needing to be upgraded.
When such a need occurs, Wrtsil can
upgrade the machinery controls, for
example the engine controls, to meet
the latest technical standards through a
predesigned package that is easy to install
and commission. With this upgrade,
obsolescence is avoided for at least 15 more
years, and the upgraded machinery
controls also meet the latest requirements
in terms of functionality and safety.
A generic automation system, typically
based on PLCs, may require some minor
upgrades after only 5 years, in order to
replace potentially obsolete parts and
to upgrade the functionality to modern
requirements. And within 15 years, a need
for a full replacement of the system becomes
Fig. 1 The modular upgrade strategy.
Machinery
controls
Upgrade
recommended
15
Obsolete
in detail
Computer
systems
Minor upgrade
recommended
Obsolete,
Upgrade
required
Minor upgrade
recommended
10
22
Automation
system
Obsolete,
Upgrade
required
Major upgrade
recommended
Obsolete
Obsolete,
Upgrade
required
Security
patches
Regular
patching
required
apparent. For these occurrences,

pre-designed replacement packages can
be supplied. Although based on the most
recent developments, these packages are
designed to match the plant in order to
ensure fast installation and commissioning
time with a minimum of interference to
normal operations.
Computers, on the other hand, need
upgrading every 5 years in order to stay safe
and stable. For this purpose, replacement
computers can be pre-congured to match
the installation, while both the hardware
and software are updated to the most
recent standards. This is the most cost
ecient solution, whereby existing software
licences and congurations are re-used,
while at the same time keeping
the equipment fully updated.
One reason to keep computer based
industrial control systems updated is the
increasing cyber security threats. This has
also been noted by authorities, and more
stringent requirements are being placed on
computers in critical applications. Critical
patches and upgrades to the computer
software are required to minimize such risks.
Because uncontrolled patching and
upgrades may actually render the system
inoperable, Wrtsil is also introducing
a programme whereby necessary upgrades
and patches are pre-tested on supported
computer platforms. This allows them to be
applied at the installation with a minimum
of testing. Through this programme,
the installation stays safe and fully

compliant with regulatory requirements.
Finally, the modularity in the
obsolescence management programme
allows the user with an upgraded
computer system to upgrade the PLC
system without needing to further upgrade
the computers. Furthermore, by utilizing
Wrtsil's obsolescence management
services, the owner can ensure safety
and reliability at reasonable cost.
Obsolescence management
In order to reduce the risks of
obsolescence, an ecient obsolescence
management (OM) system that covers
the total installation needs to be
implemented. A typical obsolescence
management system requires some basic
activities to be in place, most typically
O Information on the existing
installation needs to be collected and
maintained as a source for deciding
whether envisioned obsolescence
risks may aect the installation.
O A system for obsolescence forecasting
needs to be implemented.
Information from suppliers on
potential obsolescence should
be continuously monitored.
O A mitigation plan needs to be put in
place for every component under OM,
wherein possible actions in case of
obsolescence are planned and dened.
O A process for obsolescence resolution
is needed. When obsolescence occurs,

action to mitigate the risks related to
loss of operation or reduced safety
should be ready for implementation.
As these aforementioned activities can be
quite burdensome, it is uncommon that
individual owners implement a working
OM system capable of keeping the risks at
the desired level. This is where Wrtsil's
obsolescence management services can
help. Through good supplier relations, and
an experienced insight into the obstacles
and pitfalls, Wrtsil can support owners
with a management service to reduce
the risks arising from obsolescence.
The Wrtsil obsolescence management
service is not limited to only Wrtsil
supplied equipment. The owner can dene
what critical equipment is to be included
in the OM plan, which then releases
the owner from the burden of OM.
Information management
Any working obsolescence management
system requires information on the type
of equipment installed. The Wrtsil
obsolescence management service starts,
therefore, with a system of regular
installation audits whereby all information
and documentation on installed systems
and components, as well as their condition,
is collected. Through regular audits, this
information is also kept up-to-date both
in case of modications to the systems, and
also to keep track of available spare parts.
These records also document deterioration
of the equipment.
Through this information, it is possible
to identify the status of the installation,
and also to understand the best way of
mitigating the obsolescence risks.
Obsolescence forecasting
As Wrtsil maintains close contacts with
manufacturers, the company possesses good
insight into the obsolescence status of
main components. As new components are
encountered, new sources of information
are added to the monitoring. With this
information on component availability, an
obsolescence forecasting list is prepared. By
cross referencing this with the installation
information, potential obsolescence
problems for any installation under OM
can be detected. This allows orderly
planning and budgeting of preventive
actions well before the actual obsolescence
occurs.
in detail 23
Mitigation planning
Another critical part of OM is to dene
the appropriate obsolescence management
method approach for each critical
component. The approach may,
for example, be:
O Reactive, where no action is needed
before obsolescence occurs.
O Pro-active where, when early
warning signs are received, proactive actions are taken in order to
prevent obsolescence problems.
O Strategic, whereby the impact and
complexity of the case is high, and
strategic actions, like system or
component redesign, will be deployed.
This means that the obsolescence approach
may depend on the components, but also
on the renewal strategy of the owner of
the installation. In some cases, planned
modernizations may be chosen, whereas
for other situations a component repair
or minor replacement may suce.
Additionally, the mitigation methods
for a component may vary depending on
the complexity of the product, the ease
of replacement, and other factors. Typical
mitigation methods might include:
O Partial or full modular upgrades and
modernization solutions whereby
the systems are upgraded to current
design, and where the performance
and usability can be upgraded to
meet modern requirements.
O Last time buying of components, where
a stock of obsolete components secures
availability long after manufacturing of
the component has been discontinued.
O Re-design and re-manufacturing,
where old designs are updated
and the component can
continue to be produced.
O Refurbishment of used components,
including the repair of failed
electronics. Wrtsil can, through its
own electronics laboratories, refurbish,
repair, and re-manufacture specialized
electronics to keep systems operable.
As the warning time in which to react may
be very short (down to a matter of months
in some cases), it is important that the
method has been evaluated and decided
on beforehand. This is so that the plan can
be put into action immediately
obsolescence occurs.
24
in detail
Fig. 2 Obsolete PLC system.
Obsolescence resolution
Through continuous monitoring of the
obsolescence situation, Wrtsil can
inform the owner of upcoming situations,
and suggest the most feasible actions in
order to stay operative, even after
components become obsolete. Wrtsil
also actively resolves obsolescence problems
through re-design and last time buy
activities so as to support its customers
in the best way.
Case illustration
As a typical example of a modular
upgrade, a power plant equipped with
four Wrtsil 32 generating sets that were
commissioned in the mid 1990s, required
an upgrade in order to replace the now
obsolete PLC based controls and AVR.
Upon failure, these could have rendered
the plant inoperable as spares were no
longer available. At the same time, the PC
based HMI system based on Windows
NT required an upgrade to stay secure
and compatible with available hardware.
The modular obsolescence upgrade
was designed utilizing the original plant
design, but was based on recent hardware
and software platforms. This not only
ensured spare part availability, but also
modernized the functionality to the
same level as in modern power plants.
Due to accurate pre-design, the downtime for the PLC systems was able to be
limited to approximately one day per each
Fig. 3 Obsolete AVR.
generating set for removal and installation.

Commissioning required a further day or
two, during which all I/Os and safeties for
the generating set were tested and veried.
The HMI system installation and
commissioning took in all, approximately
three days of work.
CONCLUSION
Wrtsil has developed eective means for

minimizing the risk of severe operational
outages created by the obsolescence of
critical components, and their future nonavailability. Its obsolescence management
services monitor the operation of the entire
installation to ensure that it is maintained
in accordance with the customer's
requirements. At the same time, modular
upgrade solutions represent a cost-ecient
means of modernizing the installation
to the latest technical standards.
SCR technology development

for heavy fuel oil engines
A U T H O R S : A r i S u o m i n e n , D i r e c t o r Te c h n o l o g y , W r t s i l i n S w i t z e r l a n d , P r o d u c t C e n t r e E c o t e c h
L u c a s E s s e l s t r m , P r o d u c t E n g i n e e r, W r t s i l i n F i n l a n d , P r o d u c t C e n t r e E c o t e c h
Anu Solla, Expert - Catalysts, Wrtsil in Switzerland, Product Centre Ecotech
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)

technology has been used for years
in various applications to reduce
levels of nitrogen oxides (NOX).
However, with the current emphasis
on emissions control, Wrtsil is
engaged in further developing the
technology.
For many decades, SCR technology has

been used to reduce levels of NOX from
exhaust gas. Its use with combustion
engines can be said to have started in
the early 1990s, initially for stationary
diesel engine applications mostly. SCR
installations with marine engines, however,
remained at a relatively low level before
the year 2000. In recent years demand has
notably increased in the marine sector,
and the number of deliveries for ship
installations has grown considerably. An
important market area for SCRs during
the last decade has been gas engine based
power plants, especially the bigger ones in
the USA. Here, SCR and oxidation catalyst
systems have been required in order to
reach required single digit emission gures.
During combustion, most of the

nitrogen oxides (NOX, a generic term
for NO and NO2) are generated in the
high temperature spots by a reaction
between the atmospheric nitrogen
and oxygen. Nitrogen oxides cause
eutrophication, acidication, and the
formation of ozone in the presence
of VOC and sunlight. These NOX
emissions can be abated by using primary
and/or secondary methods. Primary
methods aim at reducing the formation
of NOX emissions in the engine using
engine design methods, or additionally
through water injection or exhaust
gas recirculation. The only viable and
proven secondary NOX emission control
method for engines today is SCR.
in detail 25
In the medium-speed engine category,

SCR technology has already largely
demonstrated its capabilities. However,
Wrtsil believes that there is still both
a need and the potential for further
improvements, both to the SCR catalysts
themselves, and in the system design. The
main focus areas recently have been on
optimizing SCR use with heavy fuel oil,
and on improvements aimed at creating a
compact, cost-ecient, as well as a robust
and reliable design. Attention is also being
given to the gradual need to move the SCR
reactor from downstream of the exhaust
gas turbine, to a pre-turbine location having
pressurised conditions. This is a de facto
situation already for two-stroke marine
engines, but is thought to represent an
increasingly feasible means of attaining
optimally ecient and emissions-compliant
engine packages in the future, as the
development of medium-speed engines
progresses. The extreme conditions involved,
and the limitations in having the SCR
system integrated within the engine,
necessitates further design and development
activities, both for the catalysts and for
the SCR unit processes.
Wrtsil is heavily involved in developing
technologies and product solutions for
secondary emissions control systems, as
well as on a range of energy eciency
improvements, such as heat recovery,
combined cycles, and chillers. Among the
focus areas are the design and development
of SCR processes, and the development of
ecient engine solutions that are compatible
with future environmental regulations.
Much has already been achieved in this
eld, but development work is continuing.
It is strongly believed that SCR technology
will become used even more with
combustion engines. In particular, the use
of SCR and high sulphur fuels will not
be technically limited, provided that the
entire chain from the engine throughout
the whole SCR process is carefully made.
This article highlights the main
achievements, as well as the on-going
eorts regarding SCR development for high
sulphur applications.
SCR technology
The SCR system consists of a reducing
agent storage tank, a reducing agent
feeding and dosing unit, a reactor with
catalyst elements, and a control system.
In Figure 1 an overview of the system
is illustrated.
26
in detail
The catalyst elements are often of

the honeycomb type, and the catalytic
material is typically titanium dioxide for
the carrying substrate, and vanadium
pentoxide for the active substance.
The reducing agent used is often urea
(CO(NH2)2). Ammonia can also be used,
but its toxicity makes it less preferable.
The reducing agent is injected into the
exhaust duct upstream of the SCR reactor.
The main reactions of the process can
be seen below; urea is evaporated and
decomposed to become isocyanic acid
(HNCO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and
ammonia (reaction 1). The isocyanic acid
is further decomposed into ammonia
and carbon dioxide (reaction 2). The
nitrogen oxides of the exhaust are reduced
to N2 and H2O by the reaction with
the ammonia (reactions 3 and 4).
(1) CO(NH2)2
NH3 + HNCO
(2) HNCO + H2O
NH3 + CO2
(3) 4NO + 4NH3 + O2
4N2 + 6H2O
(4) 6NO2 + 8NH3
7N2 + 12H2O
The temperature of the SCR process
is generally 250500C, wherein the
optimum temperature is limited to a
narrower window by certain factors. In
order to reach a sucient reaction rate,
and to avoid deactivation and fouling
due to condensation of the components
in the exhaust gas, the minimum
temperature is typically 300350C
and the upper temperature limit 400450C. The aforementioned limits apply
especially to HFO. If the upper limit
is exceeded, an increased consumption
of the reducing agent is expected as it
will start to burn, the catalyst lifetime
becomes shorter, and at temperatures
above 500C the catalytic material may
be damaged. Undesired branch reactions
also start to occur at higher temperatures.
Challenges
The fuel used will heavily aect the
temperature requirement for the SCR
process. Hydrocarbon compounds,
ammonium sulphate, and ammonium
bisulphate start to condensate on the
catalyst, which disables its function by
blocking the active sites for the NOX
reactions. Furthermore, this causes
the ammonia to slip, and increases
the backpressure aecting the engines
performance. This means that HFO fuel
with a higher sulphur content and viscosity
requires a higher temperature than
a distillate fuel.
However, ammonium sulphate

formation is not the only issue when
using SCR in high sulphur applications;
oxidation of the SO2 to SO3 needs also
to be considered. This oxidation is a
function of the vanadium content of the
catalyst, and the temperature. A higher
value of these parameters results in a
higher oxidation of SO2. As the SO3 is a
visible aerosol, it results in a blue plume
at the stack, which makes the plume
more visible. This visibility is dependent
on, for example, concentration, light
conditions, and background colour.
The NOX emissions vary depending on
the ambient and operating conditions.
This makes reliable dosing of the reducing
agent something of a challenge, and a
simple mapping of the NOX emissions is
not an ideal way to manage urea dosing.
Similarly, analyser based feedback control
systems suer from some reliability issues.
A critical issue, especially in marine

applications, is the availability of space.
It is often a challenging task to have
a compact mixing and reactor unit,
together with a suciently spacious,
ecient, and selective catalyst.
Legislation
The International Maritime Organization
(IMO) has dened limits in order to
restrict nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide
(SOX) emissions from marine engines. The
required NOX reduction is determined
by the speed of the engine. These NOX
emission limits came into force in 2005,
and were made retroactive to January 1,
2000. These regulations became known as
IMO Tier I. Now in 2011, the next level
- IMO Tier II - has entered into force.
This requires a further reduction in NOX
emissions of 1622% compared to the
Tier I level. In 2016, Tier II will be
Fig. 1 SCR system overview.
Chimney
Reactor with catalyst

NOX monitoring system
(optional)
Sootblowing
Reducing agent injection
SCR control system

Reducing agent
dosing unit
Engine
Reducing agent
feeding unit
Reducing agent
storage tank
in detail 27
complemented by Tier III in specic areas

(known as Emission Control Areas, or
ECAs), which requires NOX reductions
of 80% compared to the Tier I level. The
Tier II limits can be achieved by primary
methods, while SCR technology is
expected to play a major role for Tier III.
The exhaust emission limits for oil red
combustion engine power plants dier
signicantly in dierent countries around
the world. This legislation is driven by
various concerns, such as health eects,
air quality, and economic concerns.
Globally, there is a range of legislation that
impacts the need for oil red combustion
engine power plants to employ SCR,
and this legislation is more complicated
than in the marine sector. The SCR
eciency requirements are typically 80
to 90%, but can be more than 95% in
certain special cases and applications.
SCR design for extreme fuel qualities
In the early 2000s, Orimulsion (a bitumen
water mixture) type fuels were being
promoted, mainly because of their low
cost. However, the fuel quality is poor,
and the level of impurities exceeded the
gures for conventional heavy fuels. A
sulphur content of 4 wt-% (dry) and an

ash content of 0.1 wt-% (dry) or above
were analysed. SCR development work
and testing were also carried out in order
to demonstrate the technical feasibility
of the technology for such fuels.
A plate type element structure, typically
used in high dust applications, was
taken as the core of the demonstration
unit together with an appropriate soot
blowing system. The experience with
respect to the prevention of any kind
of accumulation was surprisingly good.
In those tests exceeding 3600 hours of
which about 70 % with Orimulsion , it
was shown that the pressure loss remained
more or less unchanged. The levels, and
the trend during the rst 500 hours, can
be seen in Figure 2. The performance
of the SCR system was also veried
over the long-term to monitor possible
symptoms of catalyst deterioration.
Extensive measurement campaigns were
carried out in November 2002 and March
2003, representing operating hours of
about 700 and 2300 hours respectively.
These campaigns indicated negligible
deterioration on the catalyst, and NOX
emissions were reduced clearly by more
Fig. 2 Pressure loss over plate type SCR during operation with high S fuel.
1
0,9
Pressure drop over SCR/kPa
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0
100
200
300
Operating time/h
28
in detail
400
500
Fig. 3 Visibility differences in the stacks

left with the original SCR, right without SCR (for reference test runs only).
than 90% with low ammonia slip.

These were extremely promising ndings
that conrmed that, with a sucient
design, the SCR can manage the challenges
caused by extremely poor fuel qualities.
Case example - Punaruu, Tahiti
A Wrtsil 46 engine based power plant
using HFO with up to 2% S, was
commissioned in Tahiti in 2009. The plant
has two SCR units (one per engine),
designed by Hug Engineering. During
the commissioning, it became obvious
that there were challenges with the
visibility of the plume, especially at
certain operating conditions, due to
oxidation of SO2 to SO3 (Figure 3). The
root cause was promptly and thoroughly
analysed by Wrtsil and Hug, and it
was concluded that there was no single
independent reason, for which a remedy
would provide a sucient improvement.
Wrtsil wanted to provide the
optimized solution, and hence a holistic
view on the factors and their remedies
was applied. The engines were retuned in such a way that they could
provide better conditions for the SCR
to minimize the sulphur conversion. At
the same time, Hug was requested to
redesign their system. Hug reverted with

a completely new type of SCR element
having a far better capability to restrict
SO3 formation. All in all, these eorts
changed the plume characteristics totally.
Practical observations at the site following
the modications, proved the calculations
right, and the new type of SCR element
was clearly better in this respect than the
original traditional elements. In Figure 4
can be seen the decreased visibility of the
right exhaust pipe after the modications
(the left exhaust pipe is not in use).
Needless to say that the NOX emission
related guarantees were fullled.
This reminded us of the fact that it is
crucial that the entire engine and SCR
system is integrated for reaching the
optimum results. Another lesson learned
is that one should really think about
which type of elements to use for various
applications. As a result of this exercise,
one can be more condent regarding
the use of SCR technology with higher
sulphur fuels. The SCR temperature
window, including both lower and upper
limits, is currently a default criterion in
Wrtsil,s four-stroke engine portfolio.
Fig. 4 The plume following

the SCR modications at the
Punaruu site
(left exhaust pipe not in use).
in detail 29
Fig. 5 SCR validation test bench

for HFO diesel engine use in Wrtsil
engine laboratory (backside view).
On-going SCR development

Wrtsil is continuing its own research
and development activities using a SCR
test bench. The main target of the test
bench is to validate new kinds of SCR
elements with real exhaust gases, in order
to achieve optimal performance from the
Wrtsil NOR/SCR systems. Additionally,
this research will, for example, examine the
impact of dierent fuel types on the SCR,
evaluate dierent catalyst element types,
and will test mixing of the reducing agent.
Wrtsil is one of the leading companies
driving a major national three-year (20102012) combustion engine technology
research programme entitled Future
Combustion Engine Power Plant (FCEP).
The principal aim of this programme is to
develop combustion engine and related
technologies to ensure that Finnish industry
can maintain its leading position in global
markets, while meeting the requirements
of tightening environmental legislation.
Under this programme, three research
projects involving SCR have been
conducted. The object of these projects is
to research the impact of bio fuels and high
sulphur fuels on the SCR, as well as to
research novel catalyst materials for SCRs.
Development of Wrtsil,s SCR product
(NOR) is on-going. The improvements
enable a more compact, exible and costeective solution. The product is intended
for four-stroke diesel and dual-fuel engines
30
in detail
operating with a wide variety of liquid

fuels, including LBF and HFO with
3.5% sulphur. Pre-turbine SCR solutions,
which are needed especially in two-stroke
engines, are not covered specically in this
article. The same critical issues are faced
there with some additional challenges
and possibilities. Two-stroke engine SCR
solutions are ready for customer deliveries,
but product development is underway to
improve their integration with the engine.
Being an engine manufacturer, Wrtsil
has an overview of the entire picture and
can, as a result, take the whole system
into consideration. This enables the
company to provide the market with
solutions that can eectively cope with
the various challenges. An accumulation
of deposits can be avoided through the
use of an engine temperature control,
and by designing the SCR reactor
with suitable catalyst elements and an
adequate soot blowing system. The SO2
oxidation can be minimized by taking the
catalysts element type and the exhaust
gas temperature into consideration.
Understanding and implementing a
dosing strategy based on the engine
parameters (SCR process control
integration with the engine) is a preferred
way of dosing the reducing agent.
CONCLUSION
The use of SCR systems with HFO red

combustion engines probably presents an
unquestionable challenge for the market.
We do not foresee any reason why this
challenge cannot be overcome. The
system just needs to be more carefully
designed, taking into consideration
not only the SCR process, but also its
integration with the engine in order to
enable a complete functional chain.
It was earlier stated that the challenge
of SO3 formation should be tackled
by the selection and dimensions of the
catalyst, as well as by the engine design.
This is the same for the elimination of
deposits. Wrtsil clearly focuses on
ensuring the reliable and optimum t
of its engine portfolio with the use of its
SCR system. As an engine manufacturer,
Wrtsil can also apply accurate and
reliable means for controlling SCR systems
based on engine parameter control.
The expected demand from the
marine sector for SCR systems will
progressively increase from now until
2016, and the ultimate products must
be ready to meet demand at that time.
Wrtsil is already today ready to oer
and deliver SCR systems for high sulphur
applications, and is making intensive
eorts in the further development and
commercialisation of SCRs in parallel
with its engine development.
Machinery concepts and LNG

for meeting IMO Tier III rules
A U T H O R : Yv e s B u i , B u s i n e s s D e v e l o p m e n t D i r e c t o r, M e r c h a n t , W r t s i l S h i p Po w e r
The IMOs Tier III environment

protection rules for NOX reduction
in dened Emission Control Areas
(ECAs), will apply to ships keeled
after January 2016. Similarly, port
authorities are imposing strict rules
on sulphur content in heavy fuels
(HFO).
For the time being, these ECA regulations

apply to the North Sea, the Baltic Sea,
the English Channel, and an area stretching
for 200 nautical miles from the USA and
Canadian coastlines. However, it is possible
that in the future these areas will extend
also to Singapore, Australia, Japan and/or
South Korea.
In order to achieve the levels mentioned
in IMO Tier III (Figure 2), which apply to
the above mentioned areas, primary and
secondary emission reduction measures
can be employed.
Primary measures include internal
engine congurations (such as, exhaust gas
recirculation, Low-NOX combustion,
Miller timing), as well as the use of less
polluting fuels, such as diesel or gas.
Secondary measures include the use of

scrubbers and NOX catalyst reducers (SCR).
Wrtsil is developing solutions to
comply with these requirements. Much has
been achieved in developing gas solutions,
and development work has also been
carried out with SCR and scrubbers in
order to be able to oer a complete range
of clean solutions. These measures are an
extra cost for operators, so the choice of
one solution over another is often driven
by economics. The same applies also to the
comparison between possible penalties,
or the price/ton of the carbon credits.
In this context, the rst step is to consider
the type of vessel, its operational prole,
and the amount of sailing time in the
ECA zones.
in detail 31
[ MARINE / IN DETAIL ]
This analysis leads to identifying the

various operational proles, and thus
the selection of propulsion types and their
economic impact.
Four ECA zones were identied as
a rst step:
O ECA zone 1 = Northern Europe
O ECA zone 2 = USA, Canada
O ECA zone 3 = Northern Mediterranean
O ECA zone 4 = Singapore and Tokyo bay
Only ECA zones 1 and 2 are in line to be
implemented, and are, therefore, the focus
of this study.
The others can change in terms of
denition, e.g. Korea/Osaka bay and
Australia could be added to ECA zone 4.
S (%)
Global:
Sulphur Emission
Control Area (SECA):
CARB MGO:
CARB MDO:
4.5
4.0
4.5
3.5
0.5
1.5
1.5
2.0
1.0
1.5
0.5
0.1
0.1
0.1
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2008
2009
0.1
Fig. 1 Fuel sulphur limits IMO roadmap.
IMO Tier I
IMO Tier II
IMO Tier III
20
18
17
NOX emission g/kWh
16
Tier I: 1.1.2000, global
14.4
14
12
45*n (-0.2)
10
44*n (-0.23)
Tier II: 1.1.2011, global
after 2016, outside Emission Control Areas
8
6
3.4
9*n (-0.2)
2
Tier III: 1.1.2016, global in Emission Control Areas
0
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Engine speed, rpm
Fig. 2 Overview of IMO Tier I-III.
32
in detail
1200
1400
1600
Methodology of the statistical study

At the global level, the reliable database
collected concerning port arrivals and
departures of all vessels, can form
the basis of the statistical study.
Knowing in most cases the in-coming
port (and sailing dates), and in many cases
also the destination port after the actual
harbour call, it is possible to assemble
the statistics with rather reliable precision
from a few days of data collection.
A rst step was made from 6 days of
harbour call data collection to limit the
costs and the volume of the data to be
treated. These 6 days provided knowledge
regarding 850,000 days at sea reporting
323,000 vessel data lines.
With an assumption of 45,000 ships
over 1000 GRT sailing during 200 days
per year, it means 9 million days of
statistics, and a sampling of 10% would
lead to an uncertainty minor of +/- 3 points
in the values obtained.
Therefore, 6 days of harbour call data is
considered to be more than enough for
the purpose of the initial ECA zone study.
These days have been selected with a 2 to 3
months interval between mid 2008 and
mid 2009.
From the data collected, the following
methodology has been applied after
cancellation of all incoherent data:
1. Characterization of the ports in,
and not in, ECA zones
2. Distance between each and every
port mentioned in the database
3. Characterization of the sailing time
within the ECA zone, depending
on the voyage from port to port
4. Evaluation of the time spent in harbour
5. Speed analysis between 2 ports
6. Classication of the vessels, according
to Lloyds split
7. Determination by vessel category of the
operational prole, including harbour
time
8. Percentage of time spent within
the ECA zone by vessel category
9. Percentage of vessels by category sailing
from 100% to 80% of their time within
the ECA zone, or from 60% to 80%, etc.
Global results
The percentage of days spent at sea sailing
within ECA zones 1 and 2, by the sample
relating to more than 111,000 voyages,
represents close to 13% of all the analyzed
days.
Cruise and ferry vessels have an ECA
zone 1 and 2 share of 18.3%, merchant

12%, oshore 15.4%, and special vessels
17.2%.
The evolution of these percentages
during the time made for merchant vessels
is quite stable, which demonstrates that
there is no real seasonality regarding the
presence of vessels in the ECA zones
(see Figure 3).
Merchant vessel frequency in ECA zones

Computing the data in a slightly dierent
way, it is interesting to understand how the
average number of days sailing within an
ECA zone is distributed amongst the vessels.
It can be all the vessels sailing 13% of
their time in an ECA zone, or a few vessels
sailing 100% of their time in an ECA zone.
For these two cases the machinery concept
producing the most cost-eective solution
can dier.
The merchant vessels have been mapped
in steps of 20% of the days at sea within
ECA zones, beginning from the category
of 100% to 80% of their time in ECA
zones 1 and 2.
The global analysis shows that 8% of
merchant vessels spend from 100% to 80%
of their time at sea in ECA zones 1 and 2.
Depending on the vessel type, these
percentages of pure ECA zone vessels
range from 0% for VLCCs or large LNG
carriers, to 31% for medium sized RoRo
vessels.
Cruise &
Ferry
6 242
24 095
2 408
2 015
2 066
392
Merchant
85 651
651 392
45 780
32 124
18 086
12 462
139
376
67
10
Offshore
5 003
29 184
2 452
2 053
556
1 232
Special
Vessel
14 742
78 723
7 401
6 124
1 739
2 999
Grand total
111 777
783 770
58 108
42 316
22 449
17 095
7.4%
5.4%
2.9%
2.2%
Navy
Table 1 ECA zone sailing statistics.
140,000
120,000
7
100,000
6
5
80,000
60,000
40,000
Number of days at sea
The surprising fact is that the time spent

at sea is limited to 162 days per year
on average.
Number of
Total
Sum of
Sum of
Sum of
Sum of
vessels trips number of
ECA 1
ECA 2
ECA 3
ECA 4
counted
days at sea Total time Total time Total time Total time
Segment
% days at sea in each ECA zone
Merchant vessel analysis

Merchant vessel operating profiles
An important nding of this study is
to understand the operational prole of
the vessels: the duration of the trip, the
time spent in harbour within and outside
the ECA zones, and the time spent at
sea in the main ECA zones 1 and 2.
The summary of all the merchant vessel
data shows that each year a vessel makes
23 round trips of 15.8 days, the average
percentage of the total time in the year being:
O 44.3% in port outside ECA
zones 1 and 2 (i.e. 160 days)
O 7.2% in ECA 1 ports (i.e. 26 days)
O 4.1% in ECA 2 ports (i.e. 14.9 days)
O 38.0% at sea in non-ECA 1
and 2 zones (i.e. 138 days)
O 4.2% in ECA 1 zone (i.e. 15.3 days)
O 2.4% in ECA 2 zone (i.e.8.7 days)
20,000
1
0
0
15.4.2008 15.6.2008
15.8.2008 15.10.2008 15.1.2009
15.4.2009
% ECA 1 North Europe

% ECA 2 USA, Canada
% ECA 3 North Medit.
% ECA 4 Singapore, Tokyo
Total days at sea
Fig. 3 ECA zone merchant days at sea.
in detail 33
If we pay attention to these medium

sized RoRo vessels, we can note that
amongst the 223 vessels surveyed:
O 31% spend more than 80% of
the time in ECA zones 1 and 2
O 4% of the RoRos spend between 60%
and 80% of their days at sea in ECA
O 6% of them from 40% to 60% in ECA
O 36% of them less than 5% in ECA.
The average propulsion power is 11 MW.
The average voyage is 2.8 days for the
medium sized RoRo vessels from 20 to
40,000 GRT staying more than 80% of
the time in an ECA zone. These details are
of signicance for the dimensioning of the
Wrtsil LNGPac gas containment system.
At the other end of the scale, PostPanamax container vessels with 45 MW
propulsion power are sailing very rarely in
ECA zones. Fewer than 15% of them are
sailing more than 40% of their days at sea
in ECA zones. This can lead to the study
of various machinery concepts according
to the amount of time spent in the ECA
zones.
A third example could be product

tankers, which distribute chemical products
from port to port. They can, for example,
carry their cargo staying within the North
American 200 nautical mile zone from
Houston to New York. In this case, the
product tanker can choose to stay or not
within the ECA zone of 200 nautical
miles from the US and Canada coastline,
in order to optimize the most economical
route considering the machinery and gas
system installed on board, and the
relative price of the LNG and HFO.
Cruise vessels and the ECA zone
The study shows also that cruise vessels are
sailing a limited number of days in ECA
zones 1 and 2. They amount for 16% of
the total sailing time.
Having a clean image is, however,
more a driver in this case. Nevertheless,
having gas systems installed on board such
passenger vessels is still to be explored in
terms of the safety rules to be applied.
Offshore vessels and the ECA zone
The study shows also that on the whole,
oshore vessels spend 10% of the year
at sea in ECA zones, and 18% of the time
in ECA zone ports.
This means that the machinery concept
to be studied later should be economically
viable.
One inuential factor in the decision
to use gas as fuel for OSVs is the recent
decision from the Norwegian government
to exempt oshore support vessels calling
at Norwegian ports from paying carbon
tax, if their propulsion is powered by gas.
However, some countries consider the
economic advantages of using gas to fuel
vessels to be sucient without adding
any such indirect incentives.
ECA zone machinery concepts
The options by which new-build vessels
using diesel engines can sail in ECA zones
today consist of:
O HFO and secondary measures
with scrubbers and SCRs
O MGO and MDO inside ECA
zones with reduced SCR size, with
the possibility to switch the fuel
to HFO outside the ECA zones
O Gas in the form of LNG, today
stored in a pressurized type C tank
but may in the future utilize other
types of containment derived from
the LNG carriers. This choice can
34
in detail
HFO plus scrubbers and SCRs

This machinery concept has the great
advantage of being able to use todays
engine solutions and adding cleaning
devices for the exhaust gas, in order to be
compliant with the IMO Tier III rules.
Another plus is that the HFO can be
purchased as today with no impact on
the renery industry.
The drawbacks are the installation issues
and the waste liquids from the scrubbing
process and catalysing the exhaust gases,
without forgetting of course, the cost issue.
Wrtsil is able to supply these secondary
measure devices.
MDO/MGO in ECA zones
MDO/MGO is a fuel that has no problem
with sulphur emissions, but depending on
the technology used for the diesel engines,
might still need some NOX abatement
using small SCRs.
The best way to use MDO/MGO might
be to burn HFO outside the ECA areas,
and switch to MDO/MGO inside
the ECA areas.
This needs a procedure for switching
fuels, but Wrtsil engines are able to burn
many dierent qualities of fuel, including
bio diesel, and could be the solution
depending on the operational prole.
Attention should be paid to the length
of the voyage, and the needed sailing speed,
should ship owners want to use
MDO/MGO.
The dierence in price between MDO/
MGO and HFO makes the choice price
competitive in certain circumstances,
and not economically viable in others.
Those engines able to run with MDO/
MGO without secondary measures will
obviously have a certain advantage.
LNG in ECA zones
Natural gas, which is mainly composed
of methane, is a clean fuel that meets
all the established or envisioned norms
regarding pollution legislation.
The price of gas, relative to the other
fuels is, however, the important factor.
Many indices foresee LNG as being
a relatively cheap fuel.
Gas reserves are more important than
those of crude oil, and the drilling and

exploitation is easier and cheaper. There
are still a number of elds not yet drilled
or explored because the demand is not
yet that high, and the actual current
production is sucient for present needs.
Many specialists believe that it is
reasonable to assume the future price of gas
to be 70% of that of HFO. In such a case,
gas will become the coal of the shipping
industry, and Wrtsils dual-fuel (DF)
technology will be a signicant factor.
Special attention should, however, be
paid to the installation on board.
But the most important factor today for
the shipping industry is the availability of
the gas itself. Until the gas supply network
is fully in place, DF engines enabling the
use of multi-fuels for exibility and fuel
management, oer the most economically
advantageous solution.
Wrtsil is also involved in the planning
process to ease the bunkering situation,
and Wrtsil Ship Design together with
the conceptual design team, has proposed
the concept of a feeder gas bunkering
vessel.
Wrtsils LNGPac has been designed to
provide gas handling and storage on board.
Some studies show that more than 1000 m3
of the space required to install such
pressurized tank systems will be too invasive,
with respect to the cargo or passenger space,
except where it can be installed above
the main deck. In that case, atmospheric
tanks - or a combination of pressured and
atmospheric tanks could be the answer.
Wrtsil has patents pending for such
a solution.
70%
60%
50%
Annual hours
evolve with the potential changes

in the regulations; notably the so
called IGF (International Gas Fuelled
vessel) code, the nal form of which
is scheduled to be adopted in 2014.
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Port ECA
Port
Manoeuvring Manoeuvring At sea in ECA

ECA
At sea
Fig. 4 Operational prole for the RoRo taken as an example.
in detail 35
SCRs
Scrubbers
4 x WRTSIL 6L38
4350 kW each
CPP 8700 kW
Thrusters
1x1850 kW +
1x 1850 kW
PTO 2400 kW
CPP 8700 kW
3 x WRTSIL 9L20
1800 kW each
PTO 2400 kW
Total installed engine power: 22,800 kW
Fig. 5 Machinery concept for ship 1: W38 mechanical.
2 x LNGPac 194
176 m3 at 90%
ll-in
4 x WRTSIL 9L34DF
4050 kW each
CPP 8700 kW
3
176 m at 90%
ll-in
Thrusters
1x1850 kW +
1x 1850 kW
PTO 2400 kW
CPP 8700 kW
PTO 2400 kW
4 x WRTSIL 9L20DF
1 314kW each
Total installed engine power: 21,456 kW
Fig. 6 Machinery concept for ship 2: W34DF mechanical.
25,000
Scrubbers
Machinery rst cost |kEUR]
20,000
SCR
Fuel system
(LNG tank etc.)
15,000
Steering
Propulsion train
10,000
Electric system
Gensets +
generators
5000
Propulsion
engine
0
W38 HFO
W34DF
Gas HFO
W38 W20
MDO SCR
W38 W20
MDO
W34DF
All gas
Fig. 7 Machinery investment costs, kEUR (for indication of solution

comparison only).
36
in detail
Other studies are ongoing, mainly thanks

to European Union nancing. Wrtsil,
together with heading ship designers, yards,
and universities are engaged in seeking
the best solutions. The results of these
studies will be public, and for the benet
of the entire world in improving the
environmental sustainability of
the shipping industry.
Analysis example of one vessel type
RoRo machinery concept
Together with the ferry sector, this
category of vessels is the one most
interested in the use of gas for propulsion.
Historically, the Northern European
countries and specically Scandinavia
have always been very concerned about
environmental protection. The Baltic Sea,
being an almost closed sea, has always been
the subject of special environmental
attention.
Thus, there exists a clear benet in using
gas to fuel Baltic RoRos.
The situation is more complicated for
mixed sailing RoRos, like the ones sailing
between Trieste and Istanbul.
We can estimate for these TriesteIstanbul medum size RoRos the
propulsion need as being slightly more
than 17,000 kW for 19.3 knots. This
allows the RoRo to reach Turkey in 60
hours, and stay one night on each side
of the trip in order to load trucks.
The distance is 340 nautical miles in
the planned ECA zone around Italy, and
820 nautical miles to Istanbul with no
restriction of emissions. This means that
the ECA zone sailing represents 30% of
the total trips during 84% of the year.
Due to the height restrictions, the
Wrtsil 38 would be a highly suitable
conventional engine in the proposed
attached conguration.
Ship 1 is referred to as the W38 HFO
in the illustrations.
The comparison is then made with
the Wrtsil 34DF mechanical version.
Ship 2 is referred to as the W34DF Gas
HFO in the illustrations.
Ship 3 is derived from ship 1 with
Wrtsil 38 engines and will sail within
the ECA zone using MDO, thus avoiding
the need to install a scrubber but needing
SCRs. It is known as the W38 SCR.
Ship 4 is derived from ship 2 with
Wrtsil 34DF engines but is fuelled by
LNG for the whole trip, with the gas
bunkering taking place in Trieste where
Fuel price sensitivity

Fuel price
Obviously all the results depend on the
relative prices of the various fuels considered.
As an example, the price variation of
the various fuels can be applied to the RoRo
already studied.
From 2009 to February 2011 the price
of HFO has increased from 418 Euro/ton
to 483 Euro/ton.
The price of LNG is today uctuating,
but what is known to the market is the
price of LNG delivered by truck to LNG
land refuelling stations. This is based on
12 $/mmBTU, which corresponds to
477 Euro/ton.
12 $/mm BTU is much higher than
the Henry hub price, for which the average
over the past 18 months has been slightly
less than 5 $/mm BTU, including
all logistic costs.
We can assume that this price will be
somewhat stable because the following
two antagonist phenomena will tend to
make it so.
20,000
18,000
Annual machinery related cost [kEUR]
an LNG plant will be installed. It is known

as the W34 All gas.
Wrtsil has created very powerful
software, known as ShipMac, which is used
by the companys sales force to study on
a case by case basis, the requirements of
each customer for comparing the dierent
machinery congurations and including
those interested in utilizing LNG for
their own purposes.
The results extracted from ShipMac for
this particular present RoRo case are as
follows:
The machinery costs (without taking
into account the installation costs) clearly
favour having only SCR as secondary
measures for achieving IMO Tier II, when
considering the use of MDO in the
ECA zones. Figure 8 indicates that the
annual running costs make the MDO
solution unsuitable for compliance with
the environmental regulations, since this
solution is always the more expensive in
the cases studied for the RoRo in question.
These costs take into account a capital
bearing 6% interest rate over 10 years.
For this short distance representing
60 hours for a single leg trip, and where no
issue can be raised regarding gas supply
with the hypothesis that a LNG plant will
be created in Trieste, gas is the best
economical choice (ship 4) with todays
fuel prices.
16,000
Scrubber
operating costs
(NaOH
+ Fresh Water)
14,000
12,000
SCR operating
costs
10,000
Maintenance
costs
8000
Lubrication oil
costs
6000
Fuel costs
4000
Annual capital
costs
2000
0
W38 HFO
W34DF
Gas HFO
W38 W20
MDO SCR
W38 W20
MDO
W34DF
All gas
Fig. 8 Annual machinery costs (kEUR).
FUEL PRICES and

PROPERTIES
[EUR/ton] LHV [kJ/kg] Carbon% -wt
Sulphur
Separation
Density
content (%) losses (%)
Heavy Fuel Oil

(HFO)
483
40 600
85
2.7
1.5
Low Sulphur Heavy

Fuel Oil (LSHFO)
493
40 600
85
1.5
Marine Diesel Oil

(MDO)
676
42 700
86
0.2
0.5
Marine Gas Oil

(MGO)
680
42 800
87,5
0.1
Liqueed Natural Gas

(LNG-1)
477
49 208
75
0.001
0,0
450
Table 2 Fuel prices February 22, 2011.
Priority selection with 30%

ECA zone RoRo
Fuels prices
Euro/ton
HFO
MDO
LNG
12 $/mmBTU
LNG/HFO
Jul.09
418
606
477
114%
446
638
477
107%
477
676
477
100%
483
685
477
99%
Feb.11
HFO
Gas in
MDO in
Scrubbers ECA HFO ECA HFO
SCR
outside outside
All gas
Table 3 Net present value over 10 years with 30% of the time in ECA zone.
in detail 37
The inuence of the price of crude oil

increasing to above 100 $/barrel and
increasing competition to deliver LNG
to the shipping industry which will
maintain the price level.
Thus, the analysis is to understand
at which level the use of gas becomes
interesting when its use is limited to
the ECA zone, or for the total trip.
Clearly MDO is not the answer.
However, some considerations have to be
made to extend the conclusion when
the time spent within the ECA zone is
dierent.
To run entirely on gas (Table 3, column
All gas) starts to be economically interesting
when LNG is 107% of the HFO price.
ECA zone time analysis
The variation of the economical advantage
of each machinery may also depend on
the time spent inside the ECA zone.
The same reasoning, including the
adaptation of the gas tank capacity to the
needs for spending 10%, 50% and 75%
of the time in the ECA zone, shows the
following going from green to red using
the same price fuel panel as in Table 3.
For this RoRo application, it is clearly
demonstrated that whatever the relative
price variation of the fuels, the best
solution is to go from HFO with scrubbers
and SCRs to the complete gas system
running 100% of the time on gas.
The situation changes when the LNG
equals 100% to 107% of HFO, depending
on the percentage of time spent in
the ECA zone.
Priority selection with 50% ECA zone

HFO Scrubbers
SCR
Gas in ECA HFO

outside
MDO in ECA HFO

outside
All gas
Priority selection with 50%

ECA zone
zone
10% ECA
HFO Scrub
Scrubbers
HFO
SCR
SCR
Gas
in ECA
HFO
W34DF
Gas
outside
HFO
MDO
in ECA
W38
W20HFO
outside
MDO
SCR
W34DF
All gas
All gas
CONCLUSION
The study presented in this article clearly

points to LNG being a very attractive
option, both from the point of view of cost
and environmental compliance, for vessels
operating inside ECA zones. Another
environmental benet comes from reduced
CO2 emissions, which could also be an
economical advantage if and when the
carbon tax applies to the shipping industry.
As a provider of gas systems, Wrtsil
can deliver solutions regarding the choice
of gas system suitable for each and every
operational prole.
The company oers a complete portfolio,
including DF engines, ship design
capability, the LNGPac gas handling
system, as well as scrubbers and SCRs to
satisfy customers requirements for cleaner
environmental solutions.
38
in detail
Priority selection with 75% ECA zone

HFO Scrubbers
SCR
W34DF Gas
HFO
W38 W20
MDO SCR
W34DF
All gas
View from the bridge Wrtsil 3C

A U T H O R : R e i j o G r a n q v i s t , P r o j e c t M a n a g e r 3 C , W r t s i l S h i p Po w e r
The Wrtsil 3C Control and

Communication Center offers the
very latest in fully integrated vessel
control systems. It also enhances the
ergonomic working conditions for
those manning the bridge.
Bridge design in the past

Ever since global shipping began using
motorised vessels, the design and lay-out of
the bridge has been the subject of interest.
Over the years it has become increasingly
important. For many decades, ship controls
and communication remained relatively
simple, and the engine room and bridge
were located far from one another within
the minds of those who operated the vessel.
Over the past three decades, however,
development in this field has been very fast.
Electronic navigation arrived, and with it
came both improvements and challenges
on the bridge. Automation did the same in
the engine room. Equipment manufacturers

were competing to produce more and more
sophisticated equipment and systems.
Software applications were introduced that,
because of conflicts within the integration
of the various systems, served only to create
more grey hair than satisfaction. As a result,
navigation equipment manufacturers began
to increase their co-operation with
automation and propulsion equipment
manufacturers. Mergers started to appear.
This has led to improved results in systems
integration, and less trouble for the
owners and yards. Or has it?
in detail 39
Fig. 1 Cruise-Ferry bridge controls.
Fig. 2 - Aeroplane cockpit controls.
Lets take a look back at when integrated

bridges first appeared on the market.
Before that time, bridge design was
nothing more than a jungle of controls
and push buttons, scattered around in
whatever space was available within
the standard consoles. Enormous steps
have been taken since then, and special
thanks are due to the Finnish-Swedish
ferry operators. Navigation within the
Finnish and Swedish archipelagos, between
thousands of islands and islets, is extremely
challenging - especially in bad weather
conditions. There was a clear demand for
an improved bridge design that would
provide more efficient, ergonomic, and safe
operation. The so called cockpit
arrangement became a reality mainly
because of those vessels. Major cruise
lines soon joined the trend.
Automation
What is the actual role of automation
onboard a vessel? Automation is generally
associated with electrical systems within
the engine controls, and with their safety
and sub systems. The machinery control
interface handles a large amount of engine
status data. It also processes multiple tasks
necessary for the efficient and safe
operation of the machinery. The status of
the relevant systems, and their subsystems,
is monitored and partly controlled through
an automation display. Traditionally,
40
in detail
the automation operator station was

located only in the engine control room,
but today it can be also found on the
bridge in certain types of vessels.
The increasing number of automated
functions has resulted in a drastic
reduction in engine room crew levels.
In the aviation world, the development
of automation went hand in hand with
advances in navigation. This was not
the case in the maritime sector. As a
consequence, there are still significant
differences between the approaches in
design for these applications. Aeroplane
cockpits are designed with an extreme
focus on human behaviour, performance
and safety, all at the same time (Figure 2).
As mentioned above, ferry operators
started to realise this and initiated giant
steps towards the cockpit arrangement
and procedures, just like in aviation.
Relationship between
navigation and automation
Recent developments within navigation
and automation have increasingly shown
the importance of integrating all the
various systems. Traditionally, automation
was designed to perform and monitor
multiple tasks related to engine controls,
safety systems, and other electronically
controlled sub systems. At the same time,
dependencies between the bridge and the
engines, propulsion, and automation are
ever increasing. Although they have always

existed, their importance has not been
recognised in the way that we see it today.
Efficiency and safety are both important,
but when it comes to critical functions,
the human factor must also be taken into
serious consideration. Automation should
not increase the work load of the operator,
but rather assist him with decision making
to avoid making critical mistakes.
We may ask ourselves if an aeroplane
is controlled and navigated with the same
principals and equipment as a motor ship
is today. The answer should be yes, but the
amount, type, working environment, and
complexity of the systems and equipment
are different. So why do we still have
a concrete wall between the engines,
automation, propulsion and bridge?
In aviation they are all one.
Control & communication
Needless to say, ship communications are
much more than a chat around the coffee
table. In addition to human contact,
communication is also needed between the
various systems and equipment onboard.
A huge number of messages are sent
between the control and monitoring
systems, and they are all handled with or
without human involvement. Systems are
designed to analyse data and even perform
commands without need of human
intervention. Warnings and alarms are

generated to raise the attention of the
operator. The complexity of the systems
and software functions increases the
negative, and often unconscious, feeling
of losing control. Is it the machine or
I who has the controls? Furthermore, over
confidence in computerised electronics has
raised much concern. As a result, we are
still struggling to reduce human errors.
In order to optimize efficiency
without compromising safety we need
an intelligent, user-friendly interface
platform, with sufficient redundancies to
eliminate human errors before they occur.
The Wrtsil 3C - Control and
Communication Center
Classification societies and regulators
in general are fighting with demons to
reduce the amount of accidents caused
by human error. It is hard to understand
why the majority of all accidents are still
caused by human influence, in one way
or another, despite all the efforts made to
enhance competence, certification and
training. It is easy, in the circumstances,
to point the finger at the equipment
manufacturers and system providers, since
as the work onboard becomes easier, the
equipment becomes more complicated.
The only way to tackle the problem is to
provide more user-friendly solutions.
Fig. 3 Console.
in detail 41
Fig. 4 Multifunction displays.
Adaptive learning by trial & error

does not really fit todays challenging
vessel operations. We cannot survive
without those electronic aids and software
applications, and in order to make
operations more safe, efficient, ergonomic,
and productive, we need to understand the
vessel as one entity. This is only possible
by a total systems-integration, and we are
already on that path whether we want it
or not. By combining and utilizing all
available information in a prudent way,
we optimize the operators target setting
activities. Information sharing between
the vessel automation and the integrated
bridge is the key issue for the Wrtsil 3C.
The Wrtsil 3C Control and
Communication Center will enhance the
overall operation of the vessel through:
O Harmonised, easy to use control
and monitoring (interchangeable
multifunction displays).
The new panel design, together with
optimized consoles, creates an efficient,
ergonomic, and safe working
environment. Multifunction displays
enable monitoring and tasks to be
performed from any of the operator
stations - separately or simultaneously
at any time. The Radar, Conning and
ECDIS display can be selected from any
of the multifunction displays, including
the automation and propulsion control
displays. Navtex, and the weather chart,
can be displayed online via ECDIS.
42
in detail
O Common alarm system

(BNWAS, IAS, AMS etc.)
All bridge alarms, including the
automation alarms, will be integrated
into a single common alarm centre.
Priorities will be set according to
the applicable rules and regulations.
Compared to existing bridge alarm
systems, this has the advantage of
muting certain multiple equipment
alarms during a sensor failure. A sensor
performance monitoring system tracks
the performance of each sensor, and if
one of the sensors is detected as being
faulty, a warning signal is displayed.
However, it is with only one audible
alarm, rather than from each and
every piece of equipment dependent
on that sensor. Previously, all related
equipment needed to be muted
separately. The required action (sensor
change) may be automatic or manual.
O Central dimming
All dimming can be done
from one location only.
O Ecometer (linked to the Wrtsil
Optimizer)
Fuel consumption is monitored by the
optimizer and displayed via the Voyage
Efficiency Display. The optimizer is
constantly in communication with
the Power Management System,
performing analysis and prognosis
functions based on current and past
activities (pitch, RPM, power, rudders

etc.), and other variables such as hull
resistance, environmental conditions,
dynamic stability (trim), and track
keeping data. Based on this information,
the optimizer may be utilized to suggest
alternatives for power generation by
shutting down or starting generators,
based on the pre-planned voyage data
provided by the ECDIS (Electronic
Chart Display and Information System).
O Weather routing (integrated
weather display in ECDIS)
A weather chart can be overlaid on
the ECDIS display (over the chart).
The prevailing weather and forecasts
can be shown directly on the chart
if desired. Weather Routing services
may be applied. This would assist in
making difficult decisions whilst sailing
in seasonal cyclone areas, or suchlike
challenging conditions.
O Speed pilot (linked to the Ecometer/
Optimizer)
Voyage data is available via the ECDIS
(pre-planned voyage plan). The
following modes can be selected
in speed pilot:
Z Set speed
Z Profile speed (the entire voyage
divided into legs/waypoints)
Z Arrival mode (ETA = Estimated Time
of Arrival)
In set speed mode, the vessel will
Fig. 5 Voyage efficiency.
follow the exact speed selected.

In profile speed mode, the vessel will
follow the selected leg speeds. These
may include speed limit areas, or
otherwise congested or shallow waters
where speed reduction is required.
It will automatically reduce or increase
the speed according to the preprogrammed speed set for that leg.
In arrival mode, the speed is set so
that the pre-planned arrival time is
achieved, in accordance with the voyage
plan. It will automatically increase or
reduce the speed accordingly, within
the set margins.
The speed pilot is linked to the
ecometer/optimizer for improved and
optimized performance (minimized
consumption and emissions).
O Enhanced steering controls, adaptive
autopilot (radius-, track-, course
and heading controls with online
predictor functions)
The adaptive autopilot reduces fuel
consumption by optimizing the rudder
activity. It will automatically reduce or
increase the reaction time and rudder
angle in accordance with the prevailing
environmental conditions (wind, sea
and current). The Predictor function
provides an accurate indication of
the vessels position and heading within
the pre-set time during turns or
manoeuvres. The predictor time can
Fig. 6 Weather chart.
be set independently. The predicted

position and heading of the vessel will
be shown with dotted lines (ownship
symbol) on the display. The Online
Predictor function deviates from
the existing ones by being capable of
reacting immediately to operator actions,
i.e. the propulsion control levers,
rudders etc. Steering modes, such as
Heading-, Course- and Track control,
provide enhanced course and track
keeping capabilities to optimize the
efficiency and safety of the voyage.
Single action takeover, override
manual steering, and back-up controls
are in accordance with rule
requirements.
O Single action take over
All operator stations (controls) are
activated from a single push button.
All systems will follow. (i.e. engine
controls, thrusters, steering and DP),
and any system can be selected/
deselected separately if so desired.
O Fleet management (Electronic report
generator, CBM, Optimizer etc.)
All administration work, both onboard
and ashore, has increased tremendously
over the years. Shore office personnel
struggle to cope with the availability
of various reports and information
regarding the companys fleet.
Maintenance procedures are sometimes
neglected or ignored. The reports are
inadequate for successfully analysing

important matters onboard. Condition
Based Maintenance records and
operational records (fleet management)
can be combined to automatically
generated electronic reports which
can be sent ashore manually or
automatically. This would make life
easier onboard and ashore. Only the
imagination can limit the possibilities
as to what can be achieved with a
fully automatic, interactive, exchange
of information. Fleet management
will, at the very least, become a lot
easier. Service agreements with remote
access will guarantee performance
levels, and provide a foundation
for complete lifecycle services.
CONCLUSION
Wrtsils leading position in the industry

is maintained by harnessing the know how
within its entire organization, and utilizing
its existing product portfolio to support
the development of the Wrtsil 3C
project. Wrtsil 3C is not only a bridge
design, but rather a long-awaited link
between the engines, the automation, the
propulsion, and the bridge. Integration is
nothing new, but Wrtsil 3C will provide
the ultimate in systems integration in an
ergonomic working environment. This
provides a healthy sense of confidence
and safety, which opens completely new
horizons for the bridge and engine room.
in detail 43
Handy size LNG cruise ship concept

A U T H O R : O s k a r L e v a n d e r, M S c ( N a v . A r c h ) , D i r e c t o r, C o n c e p t D e s i g n , M a r i n e L i f e c y c l e S o l u t i o n s
Wrtsil has developed a new

medium sized cruise ship concept
to highlight the advantages that
efficient machinery operating on
environmentally friendly LNG can
bring. The concept presents some
new solutions and interesting
features onboard.
The introduction of LNG as a marine

fuel for passenger vessels took a signicant
step forward with the order last year
by Viking Line of a 60,000 GT cruise
ferry from STX Europe. This vessel will
operate between Finland and Sweden,
and will be equipped with four Wrtsil
dual-fuel (DF) engines and a LNGPac
gas storage and handling solution.
This is well earned recognition for the
continuous long term work that Wrtsil
has invested in promoting environmentally
friendly LNG as a shipping fuel.
It is almost 10 years since Wrtsil
presented its rst concept design for a large
Fig. 1 The handy size LNG cruise ship concept.
44
in detail
RoPax vessel using LNG as the main fuel.

This was followed by many dierent types
of LNG ferry concepts, ranging from
a small coastal ferry to two large cruise
ferries. These were all part of a long term
programme aimed at promoting solutions
that will enable the use of LNG in both
cargo and passenger vessels.
But it did not stop with ferries; in 2007
in co-operation with STX Europe,
Wrtsil introduced a Post Panama cruise
ship design operating with LNG as the
main fuel. The latest LNG powered
design concept is for a smaller, medium
dimensioned, handy size cruise ship.
Fig. 2 The concept features a short superstructure with a wide and long hull.
Handy size
The new 65,000 GT cruise ship design
includes 780 passenger cabins. This handy
size was selected because of the
opportunities it oers, and because there
is potentially increasing demand for this
type of tonnage. Both big and smaller
regional operators are interested in this
size of vessel. The handy size will oer
good economic returns compared to small
vessels, as the economy of scale eect is
already sucient to oer competitive ticket
prices without having to focus on the ultra
luxury segments. Neither is the initial cost
out of reach for small and upcoming
operators. A medium sized vessel is also
suited for opening up new emerging cruise
regions, as it might be dicult to ll the
larger Post Panama vessels in the beginning.
Furthermore, there are many small ports
that cannot accommodate large vessels,
while ports of call need well developed
infrastructures and facilities to handle the
thousands of visitors coming ashore from
a large vessel. Many cruise passengers also
tend to prefer the atmosphere of smaller
vessels. Nevertheless, they still demand new
and modern vessels with the wide variety
of entertainment and dining options
not found in small or older vessels. The
small ultra luxury ships are beyond the
reach of many passengers budgets.
Design philosophy
There exists, therefore, a potential market
for such "handy" size vessels somewhere
between the small ultra luxury and the
large standard cruise ship categories. The
ship has a high percentage of balcony
cabins that will attract good prices without

being too expensive for the average cruise
passenger. The ship is also designed to be
extremely environmentally friendly. This is
achieved by specifying ecient machinery
running primarily on LNG, giving
very low emissions. The machinery is,
however, based on well proven and reliable
technology that is already on the market.
The design is based on a somewhat lower
operating speed of 19 knots to give further
emission reductions and clear cost savings.
The concept also takes advantage of
the larger dimensions of the new Panama
Canal locks that are due to open in 2015.
The hull beam is larger than for similar
sized traditional cruise vessels. This gives
better stability and the possibility to
have more cabin decks above each other.
Conversely, the superstructure is shorter,
being only four main re zones long.
Layout
The shorter superstructure allows space for
an open deck with a large pool area aft of
the deckhouse. The low location of the
pool results in less movement than on
the top sun deck, and makes it possible
to apply a larger free water surface area
without too much sloshing. The pool is
designed for fun water activities, and has a
large articial beach in the front end and
waterslides in the aft end. The other pool,
located on the top sun deck, is designed
to oer a more relaxing atmosphere.
The aft pool deck area is made extra
wide with overhangs extending outside
the already wide ship hull. These deck
extensions continue forward to form
in detail 45
a wide promenade deck on each side

of the vessel. The lifeboats are located
in recesses in the deck out-hangs.
Cabins
A wide hull with narrow superstructure
is a common feature in many cruise ships
today. In this case, the hull is only slightly
stretched since the old Panama Canal
limitations wont apply. The superstructure
breadth, on the other hand, is minimized
to t only one balcony cabin on each side,
with a centre casing for technical spaces
in-between. The idea is to get as many
balcony cabins as possible; up to 94% of
the cabins have a private balcony, which
is very good for a vessel of this size.
Balcony cabins fetch much better ticket
prices, so the extra revenue potential is
clear. There are only a handful of inside
Fig. 3 The aft sundeck with a large pool.
Size
Length
Length, bp
Beam
Beam, max
Draft
Depth, main deck
Depth, upper deck
Speed, trial
Speed, service
Cabins
Lower beds
Pax capacity
Crew
Deadweight
Propulsion power
Installed engine power
46
in detail
65,000
260
240
34.0
43.2
7.0
10.8
17.3
~20.5
~19
780
1560
1900
650
5500
2 x 8 = 16
27.3
GT
m
m
m
m
m
m
m
knots
knots
pcs
pcs
pax
crew
tons
MW
MW
cabins in the centre of the superstructure.

Most of this space is used for airconditioning, staircases, or other technical
spaces. These inside cabins provide the
possibility to oer attractive low rates
for children or single passengers.
The superstructure is designed to form
a very straightforward and uniform cabin
area that can be produced at low cost. All
four re zones in the superstructure are
very similar. Large identical prefabricated
modules can be used to cut construction
costs. The full-length central casing
provides the superstructure with structural
strength, meaning that the outside shell
does not need much steel. Cabins can
have large windows and balcony doors to
oer great views and ample natural light.
Public spaces
Most of the public spaces are concentrated
on two and a half decks below the cabin
block. The idea is to concentrate most of
the functions to these lower decks, with
only the spa and observation lounge
located on the top sun deck. These
functions require less support, and service
ows are thereby reduced.
The ship has two passenger staircases
plus two panorama elevators in the aft of
the superstructure facing the aft sun deck.
The main staircase also features four
panorama elevators facing the port side
of the ship. These have an outside view
through large windows stretching the
entire height of the superstructure.
The main restaurant is located on two
decks in the aft part of the public spaces.
The main galley is located just aft of the
restaurant. A special alternative restaurant
is located above the main restaurant on the
same level as the large aft sundeck.
It doubles as the lido caf in the morning
and daytime, and has large sliding doors/
windows facing the sundeck. Other public
spaces are located along the extra wide
promenade deck, and feature large windows
and doors to give a light atmosphere and
easy access to the open air.
The show lounge, located in the forward
part of the vessel, has a traditional
arrangement with seating on two levels.
The conference centre is just aft of the show
lounge on the port side. In this way,
the show lounge can double as a large
auditorium if large conferences are hosted
onboard. The casino is on the lower public
deck and oers a natural stop between the
main staircase and the show lounge.
The lobby is spread on two levels and

features shops and a piano bar, with a
beautiful view through a two story high
panorama window.
Fast tender boats
The ship is equipped with two fast
catamarans for tendering passengers to
shore and to alternative destinations.
The tenders are 30 m long and carry 150
passengers at 30 knots. They can be used
to visit locations of special interests and
to reach small ports that cannot
accommodate cruise ships. This allows
the cruise to oer a greater variety of
destinations and sights, and perhaps
attract a bigger clientele. The catamarans
are stored in the aft end on either side
of the LNG storage tanks, in separate
compartments open to the side of the vessel.
The boats are lifted into the water using
cranes integrated into the steel structure
of the overhanging sundeck above
the tender boats.
Machinery
The handy sized cruise ship is equipped
with propulsion machinery based on
four Wrtsil DF engines running
primarily on LNG, with diesel as a backup fuel. This is the most environmentally
friendly machinery in the cruise business
and would comply with the toughest
emissions legislations known today. The
NOX values are below the IMO Tier III
limit, which is 80% below todays Tier I
levels, without the need for any secondary
emissions reduction technology. It also
meets the toughest future regulations
for sulphur emissions in Sulphur
Emission Control Areas (SECAs), as
LNG does not contain any sulphur.
The ship is designed for a relatively low
service speed of 19 knots, and is propelled
by only two 8 MW electric propulsion
motors driving xed pitch propellers
on conventional shaft lines. The electric
transmission is based on Wrtsils Low
Loss Concept, oering notably lower
Fig. 4 The promenade caf with large windows.
in detail 47
transmission losses than conventional

electric drives. The electric power is
generated with two Wrtsil 6L50DF
and two Wrtsil 8L50DF main engines
driving generators. Only four main engines
make for a simple, low cost arrangement.
The engines are divided into two separate
compartments to comply with Safe Return
to port regulations. The propulsion motors
are also divided into separate compartments.
The propulsion set-up with twin shafts is
a very reliable and well proven concept.
Other alternatives, such as wing
thrusters or triple screw congurations,
could also oer attractive solutions.
LNG
One of the challenges related to the use of
LNG is its storage onboard. LNG requires
more space than conventional diesel
fuels. The volume of LNG is about 1.8
times that of HFO with an equal energy
content. However, LNG is usually stored
in cylindrical pressurized double wall tanks
to keep the temperature low and allow for
a design pressure of 10 bars. The size of
the compartment housing these cylindrical
tanks is about 4 times that of HFO tanks
built into the steel structure of the vessel.
The larger volume needed for LNG means
that a traditional tank arrangement will
not oer the range desired.
Fig. 5 Fast tender boats launched from storage compartments in the aft of the ship.
48
in detail
The rules (IMO interim guidelines)

furthermore stipulate that LNG tanks
should not be closer than B/5 from the
ships side. The guidelines also say that
there should be separate access to the
compartment housing the tanks from
an outdoor deck. Considering these
facts, instead of the conventional fuel
location on the tank top in front of the
machinery compartment, a new tank
arrangement oers the better solution.
The Handy Cruise Ship has three
Wrtsil LNGPacs, each with a capacity
of 465 m3 (90% net lling) giving a total
capacity of 1395 m3. The average daily
consumption for a typical cruise prole
is about 45 tons (105 m3) of LNG. The
cruise ship can therefore make a 12 day
cruise without re-fuelling.
The C-type tanks used onboard are 35 m
long, and require a large space. They have
been located on the bulkhead deck in
the stern below the pool deck, between
the tender boats. This location is quite
benecial, since the long length does not
interfere with watertight bulkheads. Access
to the compartment is also easy to arrange
from the outdoor mooring deck in the stern.
The gas ventilation pipe from the tanks is
led to the top aft end of the superstructure,
where the vent mast is located more than
10 m above the uppermost deck.
Fig. 6 Dual-fuel electric machinery concept.
Bunker station
The bunker station is located in the stern,
close to the storage tanks to allow for short
piping. The stern location is also benecial
from a safety point of view, as there are no
cabins located above the bunker station.
Furthermore, passenger access can be
controlled since there are large windscreens
on the aft sun deck that prevent passengers
from accidently creating a source of
ignition close to the bunker station.
The intention is that the ship will be
bunkered from a barge or small LNG
tanker, as the volumes are so great that
fuelling from trucks would be impractical.
Dozens of trucks would be needed to
provide the required amount of fuel.
Availability
One of the other challenges related to the
introduction of LNG as a marine fuel is its
availability. This tends to be the proverbial
chicken and egg situation. It is often said
that operators do not want to buy LNG
fuelled vessels before the fuel is available
worldwide. Similarly, gas suppliers do not
want to invest too much in distribution
infrastructure before there are sucient
LNG customers. Happily, this is changing
in the marine market. People have come
to realise that the marine bunker market
holds great potential for LNG, and there
are active players willing to arrange bunker
supplies. A new build project takes a few
years to design and build, so there is time
enough to get the fuel supply in place.
Operators need to plan the bunkering in
advance, and to establish some long term
agreements with suppliers. Also, the
Fig. 7 The cruise ship is bunkering LNG from a special LNG bunker
and storage barge.
technology involved in the bunkering

process should be further developed.
Wrtsil is actively taking part in these
discussions, and is developing dierent
solutions for bunker logistics, such as
bunker barge designs.
Comparison
The new concept, with LNG as the main
fuel, has been compared to alternative
technologies to determine its economical
feasibility. The one essential is that all these
alternatives should comply with coming
emission regulations for sailing inside
Sulphur and NOX Emission Control Areas
(SECAs and NECAs). The easiest way
to meet these targets with conventional
fuels and current technology, is to operate
in detail 49
20,000
25,000
15,000
12,000
Scrubbers
Scrubber
operating costs
SCD
(NaOH + FW
+ Senitec Chem)
Fuel system
(LNG tank etc.)
SCR
operating
Installationcosts
+ outtting
10,000
Maintenance
Larger hull
costs
18,000
Annual
machinery
cost [k]
Machinery
rstrelated
cost [k]
16,000
20,000
14,000
Steering
Lubrication oil
costs
Propolsion train
10,000
8000
6000
Gensets
Fuel
costs
+ generators
5,000
4000
Annual capital
costs
2000
0
0
LNG
LNG
MGO
MGO
HFO
HFO
Fig. 8 Annual machinery related costs (10 years, 6% interest).
25,000
20,000
Scrubbers
SCR
Machinery rst cost [k]
Fuel system
(LNG tank etc.)
15,000
Installation
+ outtting
10,000
Larger hull
Steering
5000
Propolsion train
Gensets
+ generators
0
LNG
MGO
Fig. 9 Investment cost comparison.
50
in detail
HFO
on expensive low sulphur fuels, such as

MGO, and have diesel engines equipped
with SCR to reduce NOX emission below
Tier III levels. Another often mentioned
approach is to operate on cheaper HFO
with a higher sulphur content, and to use
exhaust gas scrubbers to remove most of
the SOX emissions. The new LNG concept
will be benchmarked against both of these
alternatives. All three machinery solutions
are based on the same electric power plant
principle with twin shaft propulsion.
The power demand is only adjusted to
reect the small dierence in load demand
directly related to the type of fuel used.
CAPEX
The use of LNG will generate some extra
investment costs, as the tanks are quite
costly and the DF engines are slightly more
expensive than conventional diesel engines.
However, there are also clear cost savings,
as no HFO equipment is needed. Removing
all tank heating and pipe trace heating will
reduce building costs, which will partly
compensate for the additional price tag.
The LNG cruise ship requires about
3000 m3 more space onboard than
a conventional HFO ship of the same
capacity. The additional building costs are
estimated at 2 M. When the additional
price for the LNG equipment is added,
the total price dierence between the LNG
and a conventional MGO fuelled cruise
ship is about 9.5 M. The dierence,
compared to a ship with SCR and scrubber
running on HFO, is about 5.5 M.
Lifecycle comparison
To counter the extra investment, the
LNG cruise ship oers potential for clear
operating cost savings, as well as much
better environmental performance.
The fuel energy consumption is about 12%
lower for the LNG fuelled ship. The heat
demand is lower since there is no need for
HFO heating. In addition, the coolness
of LNG can be used for AC cooling, and
thus reduce the electric power demand
onboard. The market price for LNG is also
very competitive compared to diesel based
fuels, including HFO.
It is hard to predict future oil and gas
prices, but we believe that the price of oil
will increase more than gas. Taking into
account the need to switch to low sulphur
fuel in the future, this will further increase
the cost for vessels running on diesel fuels.
This makes LNG look ever more attractive.
50,000
45,000
Net present value [k]
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5000
0
LNG
MGO
HFO
Fig. 10 Net present value (NPV) for the machinery options relative to
the MGO case for a 10 years period.
In the study, the LNG price is assumed to

be 13 $/mmBTU, which is clearly above
todays market price for gas in the US.
In making the comparison, the current
market prices for HFO (~474 /ton,
650 $/ton, 16,9 $/mmBTU) and MGO
(~715 /ton, 980 $/ton, 24 $/mmBTU)
are used. With these assumptions, the
annual fuel cost savings are about 3.2
M for a typical operating prole. The
fuel costs of the LNG ship are some
30% below that f the HFO vessel.
In addition, the very clean gas fuel
will oer clear maintenance savings.
The interval time between engine overhauls
will be extended, and the engine room
will remain much tidier and require less
cleaning work. In addition, Wrtsil can
oer Dynamic Maintenance agreements
for further savings. These allow the
condition of the engines to be followed
up with CBM (Condition Based
Maintenance) procedures, and the service
intervals are adjusted so that parts are only
replaced when needed. This also ensures
better reliability and higher availability.
Net present value
The annual operating costs for the LNG
cruise ship are calculated to be almost
4.3 M lower than those of the HFO
version, and 7.5 M less than the MGO
alternative. The NPV dierence from 10
years of operation, favours the LNG concept
over the HFO ship by about 26 M.
This includes the extra CAPEX costs

arising from the higher initial price.
The payback time for LNG is estimated
to be 1.3 years compared to both the HFO
and MGO options.
CONCLUSIONS
Using the assumed fuel prices, the economic

performance is in favour of the LNG
concept. The actual savings potential,
not to mention the signicant reduction
in emissions, is so substantial that LNG
is clearly a viable alternative for new
passenger vessel projects. There are still
some things that need to be developed
relating to the gas supply, but by working
with the ag states and class societies
a smooth introduction process can be
ensured. In addition to the promising
results from the LNG machinery, the new
handy size cruise ship also reveals some
other interesting features to consider for
coming projects. The layout with the new
tank locations, the pool deck location,
the wider hull with extended promenade
decks, the fast tender boats, and the cost
ecient superstructure, might all oer
benecial and interesting solutions.
The design is based on well proven and
reliable technology that is available today.
Orders can be placed without need to wait.
In the meantime, Wrtsil will continue
to develop new concepts and promote
the introduction of new and better
technologies for passenger ships.
in detail 51
Safeguarding biological diversity

with ballast water treatment
A U T H O R : M a r t i n T h o r s s o n , M a n a g e r, M a r k e t i n g & C o m m u n i c a t i o n , W r t s i l i n S w e d e n
Ecosystems are put at risk by

organisms transported from their
natural habitat, and the IMO has
regulations pending to control
the issue. Wrtsils ballast water
treatment system is a ready solution.
52
in detail
It started with the zebra mussel, or

Dreissena polymorpha. Originally found
in southeast Russia, it became famous as
the first clearly identified stowaway
organism after appearing in the United
Kingdom in the 1820s, in Sweden in the
early 1900s, and suddenly in the Great
Lakes of North America in 1988. Having
been carried in the ballast water of
oceangoing vessels, the mussels quickly
adapted to their new habitat. There they
multiplied and overtook parts of the local
ecosystem, in many cases with disastrous
results for the original fauna. Ballast water
was identified as the main culprit - the
zebra mussels had simply travelled in
the ballast tanks of vessels from Europe.
To prevent this biological tourism, several
ballast water management guidelines came
into force, specifying that the water in
the ballast tanks should be exchanged at
intervals between ports in order to limit
the distance between loading and discharge.
Simple ballast water exchange turned

out not to be enough, however, as the
ballast tanks would never be completely
empty, meaning smaller organisms could
stay inside the tanks throughout several
exchanges. Therefore the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) introduced
the Global Ballast Water Convention in
2004, mandating that ballast water must
be treated prior to release in another
ecological zone. The treatment should
either kill or render any organisms
incapable of reproduction. However,
the convention is still not in force, and
for this to happen, 30 nation-states and
35 percent of the world tonnage must
ratify the treaty. Right now, the count is
27 states and just above 25 percent of
the world tonnage. Final ratification is
expected to happen in late 2011 or early
2012. All vessels will then need to comply
with the new regulations at latest by 2016.
The intention of the coming regulation

is to eliminate the transfer of organisms
from one ecological zone to another,
where they might cause severe damage to
existing ecosystems. Besides the obvious
positive effects on biodiversity, there
are also potentially huge cost savings
to be made from a global perspective.
A 2007 UN paper cites studies where
the annual total global costs relating to
invasive species are calculated to be a
staggering 1400 billion US dollars.
Fig. 1 During ballast water

intake, water passes
through both the lter and
the UV disinfection stages.
Following the regulations

The coming regulations limit the number
of allowable organisms of certain sizes and
types as per Table 1. Of note is the fact
that the US Coast Guard is proposing
a set of regulations that over time will
be much stricter than the global IMO
guidelines. Vessels destined for US
ports will have to comply with both.
Also important is that the organisms
need not in fact be removed from the
water - it is enough to render them
incapable of reproduction. The technology
chosen by Wrtsil to achieve this goal
in as secure a way as possible, is a twostep treatment process of robust filtering
coupled with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.
During ballasting operations, i.e. when
ballast water is taken aboard, larger
particles and organisms are filtered out in
the first stage, and the remaining living
organisms are killed or neutralised in the
second, UV irradiation stage. During deballasting, i.e. when ballast water is
Fig. 2 During de-ballasting,

water bypasses the ltration
and passes through
the UV disinfection only.
Table 1 The regulations in brief. It seems likely that the US Coast Guard regulations will come into force earlier than
the IMO regulations, meaning vessels destined for US ports will need to comply earlier than vessels in other areas of the world.
IMO
US Coast Guard
Phase 1
Phase 2
Organisms > 50 m
< 10
< 10
< 0,01
/ m
Organisms 10 50 m
< 10
< 10
< 0,01
/ ml
Escherichia coli
< 250
< 250
< 126
cfu* / 100 ml
Intestinal enterococci
< 100
< 100
< 33
cfu* / 100 ml
<1
<1
<1
cfu* / 100 ml
2012
2012
2016
Toxicogenic vibro cholera

Implementation year
*) cfu = colony-forming units

1
UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, October 2007.
in detail 53
discharged into the sea, only the UV stage

is in operation in order to treat any
organisms that may have been present
in the ballast tanks prior to ballasting.
The system has been developed together
with Trojan Marinex, the marine water
solutions division of Trojan Technologies.
Trojan is the worlds largest and most
experienced UV solutions provider, with
more than 6500 municipal water treatment
facilities in more than 80 countries relying
on their proprietary technology to safeguard
health and the environment. The alliance
with Wrtsil combines Trojans worldclass water treatment technology, with
the marine know-how and excellent sales
and aftermarket support functions of
Wrtsil. This clearly benefits customers
and both companies alike.
Treatment stages and effects
The first stage in the treatment process is
a duplex mesh filter made of stainless steel,
and equipped with an automatic backflush
function. The filter pore size of 40 um
safely removes all of the larger organisms.
The pore size is also sufficiently small to
reduce the amounts of sediment in the
water, which in turn supports the next
stage of the treatment process. Compared
to competitive systems, the filter stage is
designed to notably reduce the filter
loading rates. As stated above, the filter
stage is only in operation during ballasting
operations.
After the filter stage, the ballast water

enters the UV stage, where remaining
organisms are subjected to ultraviolet
irradiation. UV irradiation is generally
seen as one of the safest disinfection or
sterilization procedures in existence.
Two factors determine how effective the
system is at performing its function. One
is the length of time that the organism is
subjected to irradiation, and the other is
the wavelength of the light. The Wrtsil
Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) solution is
designed with both these factors in mind.
The ballast water flows through a maze of
vertically placed lamps. The relatively small
distances between the individual lamps are
to allow for the treatment of poor quality,
turbid water. Because of the high number
of lamps in the Wrtsil solution, there is
very little risk of an organism making it
through the UV stage without being
irradiated from all sides for a sufficient
period of time. Fewer lamps and greater
distances between them might mean that
other matter in the water could shadow
an organism, enabling it to pass through
the irradiation stage unharmed.
The wavelength of the UV light also has
to be in the correct range for maximum
effect. The efficacy of UV light for microbial
disinfection peaks in wavelengths between
245 and 270 nm. The Solo LampTM, which
is used in the Wrtsil BWT solution, is
a result of Trojan Technologies extensive
research. It offers the high electrical
efficiency of a low pressure UV system,

while delivering UV irradiation with
a wavelength of 254 nm, well in the
peak range for optimal efficacy. At the
same time, the power consumption is
among the lowest on the market, with
an estimated power draw of 25 kW for
the 500 m3/hour BWT 500i system.
Individually certied
The Wrtsil BWT units are available in
several sizes with different capacities, as
shown in Table 3. All units are designed
as integrated enclosures containing both
treatment steps. The reasons behind this
innovative design are many; it minimizes
the required installation space, optimizes
the water flow through the complete
treatment process, and allows for a more
stable and predictable system. The units
can then be multiplied in order to fit
the actual capacity required. The small
footprint also allows for easy installation,
maintenance, and access during service.
As part of the integrated design,
each size version is tested and certified
individually. Although this could be seen
as a drawback as it requires additional
resources and extensive testing procedures,
it also constitutes a much higher level of
safety for the end users. Each size version
of the units will be optimized individually,
securing the highest treatment efficiency
regardless of the actual amount of water
being processed.
Table 2 Germicidal effectiveness. The highest results are achieved with UV wavelengths between 245 and 270 nm.
The Solo LampTM used in Wrtsils BWT solutions has a wavelength of 254 nm, shown as a red dot in the diagram.
Solo LampTM
100
90
80
Germicidal effectiveness [%]
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Peak zone
0
210
220
230
240
250
260
Wavelength [nm]
54
in detail
270
280
290
300
The Wrtsil BWT system product

range is presently undergoing testing,
both in the laboratory and at sea, with
final certification of the first size version
expected later this year. Ex-classed versions
for use in explosion-classed environments
are being designed and tested in parallel.
Challenges that lay ahead
Even though ratification of the IMO
Ballast Water Convention is rapidly
approaching, there are still a number of
unsolved questions. For instance, the
procedure for determining the biological
content in ballast water is still rather timeconsuming. It is a highly labour-intensive
process, and impractical for checking
every vessel on every voyage. Will ships be
allowed to continue their voyages while
their samples are being analyzed, or will
they have to lay idle? Will there be
exemptions for certain types of vessels?
Will scaled-up systems be allowed and
accepted worldwide? From what we can
determine today, there will undoubtedly
be some uncertainties arising from the
ratification of the convention. The aim of
Wrtsil, together with its technology
partner Trojan Marinex, is above all to
limit the effects of such uncertainty and
instead deliver confidence and safety to our
customers both now and for the future.
Product
Capacity
Testing nalized
Type approval
BWT 250i
250 m/h
Nov 2011
Q4 2011
BWT 500i
500 m/h
May 2011
Q4 2011
BWT 750i
750 m/h
Nov 2011
Q4 2011
BWT 1250i
1 250 m/h
Aug 2011
Q4 2011
Table 3 The Wrtsil BWT product range with proposed release dates.
in detail 55
indeta
First order for Wrtsil SOX scrubber

A U T H O R : S a n n i L u o m a n s u u , S o l u t i o n s S a l e s M a n a g e r, A i r & E n e r g y, W r t s i l E n v i r o n m e n t a l S e r v i c e s
Wrtsil has been developing and

testing scrubbing technology for
removing sulphur oxides (SOX) from
the exhaust gases of diesel engines
since 2005. The rst commercial
marine scrubber project agreement
for a main engine has now been
signed.
The agreement made with Containerships

Ltd Oy covers the retrofitting of
a Wrtsil fresh water scrubber system for
the companys Containership VII vessel,
which is equipped with a Wrtsil 7L64
main engine.
Strengthened regulations governing
SOX emissions from ships are driving the
marine industrys search for solutions
aimed at reducing such emissions. In
particular, vessels operating in Sulphur

Emission Control Areas (SECA) are
affected. The Containerships VII is a
Finnish short-sea carrier operating in
the North and Baltic Seas SECA area.
Containerships Ltd has selected the
Wrtsil SOX scrubber system, since it is
an efficient and cost-effective alternative to
the use of low sulphur fuel to meet both
current and future emission requirements.
Fig. 1 The container vessel M/S Containerships VII will be equipped with a Wrtsils scrubber.
56
in detail
Working principle
The Wrtsil scrubber works with fresh
water boosted by NaOH to create a strong
alkaline solution. As a result of the
chemical process, SOX emissions, are
neutralised to sulphates in the scrubbing
water. A small amount of bleed-off,
extracted from the scrubbing water, is
cleaned in the bleed-off treatment unit.
Clean effluent, fulfilling all the quality
and monitoring requirements stipulated
by the IMO, can then be discharged
to the sea. The process is monitored
constantly. In so-called zero discharge
mode, the effluent is led to a buffer tank
for periodical discharge. Contaminants
removed in the bleed-off treatment
unit are always disposed of at the
appropriate reception facilities in port.
Containerships VII solution
Onboard the Containerships VII, fresh
water is produced using a fresh water
generator. NaOH is stored in the existing
heavy fuel oil tank, which will be modified
for NaOH storage purposes. The tank
will be coated internally, and heating
will be arranged in order to keep the
temperature between 25 - 35C, which
is the recommended storage temperature.
The alkali feed unit, located close to
the NaOH storage tank, automatically
monitors the pH value of the scrubbing
water, and thus its cleaning efficiency.
The scrubber unit, built entirely from
highly corrosion resistant materials, will
be located on the port side of the exhaust
gas funnel. The gas inlet to the scrubber
unit is arranged in the lower section.
Scrubbing water is pumped from the
wet sump, through the seawater heat
exchanger, to the top part of the scrubber
and sprayed into the exhaust gas flow.
The water absorbs the SOX, heat and
other components from the exhaust gas.
The 40 foot equipment container, which
includes amongst other things the bleed-
off treatment units, will be located in front

of the superstructure on the port side.
The Containerships VII scrubber
solution will be in operation before
the end of 2011. For Wrtsil, the
agreement with Containerships Ltd.
represents an important step forward in
the exhaust gas scrubbing market.
NOTE
Please see also the press release 19 January
2011 Wrtsil delivers a marine scrubber to
Containerships Ltd, or e-mail sox@wartsila.
com for more information.
Fig. 2 The scrubber unit and equipment container onboard

Containerships VII.
in detail 57
THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF

POWER AT THE RIGHT TIME.
THE NEW STANDARD FOR

FLEXIBLE POWER GENERATION.
Environmental rules tighten, short-term energy demand fluctuates and long-term demand grows.
Fuel prices and availability, weather conditions and technology the only constant is change.
How can energy be produced in a way thats both environmentally and economically sound? Our
answer: add flexibility to the energy mix. Our fast, responsive and efficient power plants ensure that
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at wartsila.com.
WRTSIL is a registered trademark.
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indetail
The information in this magazine contains, or may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements. These statements might relate to future events or our future nancial performance, including,
but not limited to, strategic plans, potential growth, planned operational changes, expected capital expenditures, future cash sources and requirements, liquidity and cost savings that involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Wrtsil Corporations or its businesses actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different
from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. In some cases, such forward-looking statements can be identied by terminology such as may, will, could, would, should,
expect, plan, anticipate, intend, believe, estimate, predict, potential, or continue, or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. By their nature, forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Future results may vary from the results expressed
in, or implied by, the following forward-looking statements, possibly to a material degree. All forward-looking statements made in this publication are based only on information presently available
in relation to the articles contained in this magazine and may not be current any longer and Wrtsil Corporation assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Nothing in this
publication constitutes investment advice and this publication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or otherwise to engage in any investment activity.

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In Detail 01 - 2011

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WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL

31 IMO Tier III

The problem of critical

issue no. 01.2011

THIS ISSUE OF IN DETAIL is also available

Publisher: Wrtsil Corporation, John Stenbergin ranta 2, P.O.

AND, MOREOVER, we have a unique combination of

to energy eciency and environmental

TO STRIVE towards the best solutions for our customers

is not only about fuel and technologies, but also how we

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL | WWW.WARTSILA.COM

NEW LNG CRUISING CONCEPT

Wrtsil's concept for a cruise ship running on LNG

More gas power

The Aksa Samsun power

The Wrtsil HFO power

Wrtsil has signed a

Designs for the future

The New Power Plant Design is

First impressions are important, even when

plants, and one that incorporates aspects

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

in close co-operation with Power Plant

Fig. 1 The grey colour palette with

The New Power Plant Design provides

low noise environment, the control room

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Fig. 3 The upper menu of the graphical user interface, WOIS.

The control room also includes a meeting

Numbering the generating sets

and a map of the entire site (Figure 4).

Fig. 4 The information sign at the plant entrance.

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Knowing lifecycle costs aids power plant

In the previous issue of In Detail

As concluded in the In Detail 02/2010

EUR 19 million gap in favour of

through optimally capturing the exhaust

allowed tolerances, the plant would ramp

Fig. 1 Summarized effects of lifecycle cost adjustments.

Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

introduce certain scenarios in order to

the CCGT is derived from GT Pro1.

GT Pro is a global tool, widely used by

Table 1 Technology specic assumptions.

Wrtsil assumptions (*)

CCGT assumptions (*)

(*) 13 x Wrtsil 50SG + ST

(*) based on a 2 x 2 x 1 conguration

Total investment cost (incl. IDC)

Gross efficiency (respective ISO)

our average net eciency for the CCGT

Table 2 Technology specic assumptions.

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

still incorporate a likely number of starts

In the previous article we found the

Fig. 2 Lifecycle cost calculation, step-by-step.

O&M cost due

Introducing the worlds largest

WRTSIL TECHNICAL JOURNAL 01.2011

Power plants based on multiple engines

gas engine once again makes combustion