Minerva Gas signs up five ships for Wärtsilä optimized maintenance

Minerva Kalymnos is one of five Minerva Gas LNG carriers to be covered by long-term Wärtsilä optimized maintenance agreements. [Image © Minerva Gas Inc.]

Wärtsilä has signed long-term optimized maintenance agreements covering five LNG carrier vessels owned and operated by Greece-based Minerva Gas Inc. The advanced support package in these agreements is designed to ensure operational certainty with budgeted maintenance costs.

The vessels covered by the agreements are the Minerva Kalymnos, Minerva Chios and Minerva Amorgos. which are powered by low pressure, WinGD X-DF two-stroke, dual-fuel main engines, and the Minerva Psara and Minerva Limnos, which operate with Wärtsilä 34DF four-stroke dual-fuel auxiliary engines.

The agreements include Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight, a service that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems in real-time, spot anomalies, foresee potential problems, and enable rapid reaction. If anomalous behavior is detected, it is flagged to specialists at Wärtsilä Expertise Centers, allowing them to support the customer proactively with an appropriate resolution. The combination of AI, advanced diagnostics, and the company’s extensive equipment expertise greatly enhances the reliability, efficiency, and safety of the installed equipment.

“To achieve optimal operational efficiency and reliability, we intend to take advantage of the latest and most advanced technology available,” aays Sokratis Dimakopoulos, Chief Operating Officer at Minerva Gas. “These tailored agreements with Wärtsilä allow us to benefit from condition monitoring of the engines, maintenance planning, remote operational support, and of course Expert Insight, all supported by their global service network. Minerva Gas is committed to delivering reliable and flawless operations and these agreements with Wärtsilä assist us in meeting our objectives by using advanced tools and solutions in better managing our costs and risks,”

“Our optimized maintenance agreements are an important element within Wärtsilä’s lifecycle solutions offering, and a smart way to ensure optimal performance from modern marine engines,” says Rajeev Janardhan, sales manager, two-stroke engine lifecycle solutions, at Wärtsilä Marine Power. “The implementation of Expert Insight is especially relevant since it can deliver an estimated fifty percent reduction in unplanned maintenance activities, and a two to five percent improvement in fuel efficiency, with a corresponding reduction in emissions.”

Minerva Gas Inc is the gas ship management unit of the Minerva group of companies (Minerva Marine Inc., Minerva Dry Inc., Minerva Gas Inc., Athina Maritime Learning and Development Center).