OREANDA-NEWS. September 24, 2014. Wartsila has announced a run of seven-cylinder RT-flex50DF dual-fuel two-stroke main engines to equip a series of 1,400 teu boxships under construction at Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding yard in China.

The vessels, with four firm orders so far from GNS Shipping and more expected in the future, will be the first to use Wartsila's two-stroke, low pressure dual-fuel technology, which meets IMO’s Tier III NOx emissions requirements – as well as the North Europe ECA’s 0.1% Sulphur requirement - with no further exhaust treatment necessary.

Further, the engines will not require switching to other fuels at low loads, allowing a crucial operational advantage while manoeuvring in port. On delivery, which is slated for 2016, the vessels will be deployed on long-term charter contracts for Finland’s Containerships OY. "When our 2-stroke, low pressure, DF technology was introduced we knew that we had gone beyond merely extending our DF (dual fuel) engine portfolio,” said Rolf Stiefel, director of two-stroke Sales at Wartsila Ship Power.

“This is an engine that really makes a positive difference to the global shipping sector. It not only meets the Tier III requirements when operating with gas fuel, but it also offers considerable CAPEX and OPEX savings. It is truly an engine that fits the needs of today's market.”