Wärtsilä Yuchai JV inaugurates new engine factory

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 — Wärtsilä Yuchai Engine Co., Ltd, a joint venture between Wärtsilä and Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd., has inaugurated its new factory in Doumen District, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, China.

The new factory covers a total area of 266,700 square meters and will be used for the assembly and testing of Wärtsilä 20, Wärtsilä 26 and Wärtsilä 32 medium speed engines.

The assembly lines and test beds are already in partial operation and the plant is expected to be in full production before the end of 2016.

Wärtsilä and Yuchai Marine Power Co. Ltd. (YCMP), a subsidiary of Guangxi Yuchai Group, established the 50/50 joint venture in May 2013. The  the value of Wärtsilä’s investment was approximately EUR 17 million.

“As China is the world’s major supplier of newbuild ships,” says Björn Rosengren, President and CEO of Wärtsilä Corporation,”the Chinese market plays a central role in Wärtsilä’s global growth strategy. By inaugurating another Wärtsilä joint venture in China, we not only demonstrate our strong commitment to this important market, but also take another significant step towards enhancing our presence in the region. Strengthening our local production capacity is an important part of this strategy. Through this partnership with Yuchai, China’s leading high-speed engine manufacturer and market leader, we are convinced we can serve our customers in China in the best possible way and further reinforce our market leadership position for medium-speed engines.

“We are proud to witness the inauguration of Wärtsilä Yuchai Engine Company. Wärtsilä is a global technology leader in the marine industry with a broad range of high quality offerings with economical and environmental advantages for ship owners and operators. In line with the vision of Yuchai Group, this joint venture is a key milestone in our significant long-term cooperation with Wärtsilä in serving the local shipbuilding industry. This is also a great example of two leading companies working together to create jobs, growth and prosperity,“says Gu Tangsheng, President of Yuchai Group.

The Wärtsilä 20, Wärtsilä 26 and Wärtsilä 32 engines that Wärtsilä Yuchai Engine Company produces are all well established on the market. They are also fully optimized for today’s flexible manufacturing methods. All three engines are fully compliant with the IMO Tier II exhaust emission regulations.