Wärtsilä inks LNG ship agreements with Greek operators

JULY 15, 2014 — Wärtsilä has signed technical management agreements with four Greek owners of liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships, Maran Gas Maritime Inc, Dynagas Ltd, TMS Cardiff Gas Ltd and Thenamaris LNG Inc.

The agreements cover condition based maintenance for a total of 80 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines for a five year period. The Wärtsilä 50DF engine allows for fuel flexibility since it is capable of running on either natural gas, light fuel oil (LFO), or heavy fuel oil (HFO), and can smoothly switch between fuels whilst operating. It is designed to provide the same output regardless of the fuel.

The condition based maintenance system covered by the agreements brings flexibility to operations as maintenance intervals are optimized. The system enables engine parameters into to be fed into Wärtsilä’s database and then evaluated by specialists. Condition based maintenance enables early detection of performance issues, reduced downtime, optimized engine performance, predictable cash flow, and optimization of major overhauls. Constant monitoring allows maintenance to be predictive and based on the actual condition of the engine, providing a significant opportunity to reduce operating costs.

The agreements with TMS Cardiff Gas Ltd and Thenamaris LNG Inc. also include online remote support, which means that Wärtsilä’s technical experts can support the LNG carrier’s crew in real time via an online PC connection without the need for engineers to travel to the vessels.

“We expect that this agreement with Wärtsilä will lead to higher availability, increased efficiency, reduced maintenance cost, and reduced risk for the DF Engines installed on Maran Gas Fleet. Wärtsilä’s technology, global presence and local support are essential elements for supporting this agreement,” says Mr. Andreas Spertos, Technical Director, Maran Gas Maritime Inc.

“With these long-term agreements, we aim to improve our customers’ business during the entire lifecycle of their installations. By utilising the latest technologies in our Condition Based Maintenance system, our target is to repair or replace engine components when needed, thus reducing costs and minimising downtime caused by unnecessary overhaul,” says Veikko Lepistö, General Manager, Marine Agreements, Wärtsilä Services.

Maran Gas Maritime Inc is the gas shipping unit of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group. The Group has a well-established track record in shipping dating back to 1947. Its fleet comprises of bulk carriers, oil tankers and LNG carriers. The agreement with Wärtsilä covers technical management for 24 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines in six LNG vessels.

Dynagas Ltd., established in 2004, offers in-house ship management services in order to provide charterers and stakeholders with the best performance and reliability. The agreement with Wärtsilä covers technical management for twenty eight Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines in seven LNG vessels.

TMS Cardiff Gas Ltd. manages the LNG fleet of Cardiff Marine Inc. Cardiff has a history of more than 30 years of traditional ship-management services in almost all type of vessels coupled with engineering and offshore drilling management expertise and a highly experienced team of LNG professionals. The agreement with Wärtsilä covers technical management for sixteen Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines in four LNG vessels.

Thenamaris LNG Inc. currently manages two 160,000 cu. m LNG carriers, and one more LNG carrier project under construction. The company is part of the global ship manager Thenamaris Inc. The agreement with Wärtsilä covers technical management for twelve Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines in three LNG vessels.