Wartsila engines for new Russian icebreaker

OCTOBER 9, 2015—This past September, Wärtsilä signed an order to supply its new medium-speed Wärtsilä 31 engine for a new generation icebreaker currently under construction at the PJSC Vyborg Shipyard in Russia. The icebreaker is being built for FSUE Atomflot, a venture of ROSATOM, the State Corporation for Atomic Energy.

When delivered, the icebreaker will serve the Yamal LNG project in Sabetta, located northeast of the Yamal peninsular in Russia. The project is one of the largest industrial undertakings in the Arctic.

The Wärtsilä 31 is the first of a new generation of medium-speed engines, designed to set a new benchmark in efficiency and overall emissions performance. It is available in 8 to 16 cylinder configurations and has a power output ranging from 4.2 to 9.8 MW, at 720 and 750 rev/min.

Key factors in selecting the Wärtsilä 31 engine were fuel efficiency and reliability. Other key considerations in the decision process were the engine’s operational flexibility and its outstanding performance in extreme environmental conditions. The new vessel will operate in temperatures as low as minus 50°C. 

The new generation icebreaker Aker ARC 124 will feature three 8-cylinder Wärtsilä 31 engines. The operating condition of the engines will also be monitored remotely.

Wärtsilä 31 also points out that the first major service required on the Wärtsilä 31 will come after 8,000 running hours as compared to 2,000 running hours for engines of a similar class. This dramatic improvement reduces maintenance costs, as well as greatly increasing the vessel’s uptime availability.

“When the Wärtsilä 31 engine was introduced in June, a new approach to marine power generation was launched,” says Roger Holm, Senior Vice President, Engines, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions. “By combining a drastic reduction in fuel consumption, increased power output, and a four-fold extension of normal maintenance intervals, our customers now have the chance to redefine how they operate their vessels to a new level of competitiveness. FSUE Atomflot’s selection of the Wärtsilä 31 engine after such a short time following its introduction, confirms the value that this engine brings to the market.”

FSUE Atomflot First Deputy Director General – Chief Engineer Mustafa Kashka, says, “High vessel availability and fuel efficiency are the key winning factors for any ship owner. The Wärtsilä 31 engines will facilitate a significant improvement in vessel operations, making it extremely competitive on the market. This new icebreaker, powered by Wärtsilä 31 engines, will be the most technologically advanced ship of its kind in the whole world.”

“Despite the fact that the Vyborg shipyard has already had orders for six icebreakers, we are confident that this icebreaker, the Aker Arc124 will rightly take its place among the most efficient modern domestic vessels operating in Arctic waters,” says Alexander Solovyev, General Director of PJSC Vyborg Shipyard.