Wärtsilä 34DF now EPA Tier 3 certified in diesel mode as well as gas

A 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engine

JULY 11, 2018 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel engine its Tier 3 certification for diesel mode operation, when installed together with the Wärtsilä NOx Reducer (NOR) system. The Wärtsilä NOR is a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that converts nitrogen oxides (NOx) with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen (N2) and water.

Wärtsilä says that it is the first engine manufacturer to be awarded this certification and that the benefit is that shipyards now need only a single party to certify both the engine and the SCR system for full compliance with the latest emission regulations.

The Wärtsilä 34DF was awarded EPA Tier 3 certification in 2017 for operating in gas mode without an SCR system.

“This is a very meaningful achievement since it allows operators complete fuel flexibility when sailing in NOx emission control areas,” says Stefan Wiik, Vice President, Marine Power Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “It represents further validation of Wärtsilä’s technological leadership in working towards greater environmental sustainability and a cleaner shipping industry.”

The U.S. EPA Tier 3 NOx requirements entered into force in 2016 for Category 3 engines (engines with a cylinder displacement at or above 30 liter/cylinder) to be installed in USA flagged or registered vessels.

At the same time, IMO’s NOx Tier III requirements also entered into force in North American and U.S. Caribbean emission control areas (ECAs) from January 2016 for vessels with a keel-laying date on or after January 1, 2016 and an engine output of ≥ 130kW.

The Wärtsilä 34DF engine is now certified for both the EPA Tier 3 and the IMO Tier III emission standards in diesel mode operation when installed together with the Wärtsilä NOx Reducer SCR system, as well as in gas mode without exhaust after-treatment.

The Wärtsilä 34DF engine

The 34DF engine features advanced dual-fuel technology and high efficiency. For marine applications, it is manufactured in configurations from 6 to 16 cylinders covering a power range of 2,880 – 8.000kW. Based on the well proven Wärtsilä 32 diesel engine introduced in the mid-1990s, the Wärtsilä 34DF’s fuel flexibility means that the engine can be optimized for constant speed generating sets, as well as variable speed mechanical drives for main engine applications.