Wärtsilä donates diesel system to SUNY Maritime College

Wärtsilä has donated the main components of a hybrid diesel propulsion system to the Engineering Department at State University of New York Maritime College. An unveiling and dedication ceremony in mid-October marked the official opening of the Wärtsilä Lab on the SUNY Maritime campus at Fort Schuyler in Throgs Neck, New York. The total donation to SUNY Maritime College’s Engineering Department is valued at $1 million.

The donated equipment and support includes a 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 26 medium speed diesel engine, reduction gear, a power take-in (motor)/ take-out (generator), related system equipment, tools, instruction manuals and instruction at Wärtsilä’s Land and Sea Training Academy in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This system combines diesel-electric and diesel–mechanical machinery maximizing system efficiency while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

“We at Wärtsilä are very excited to have the opportunity to partner with SUNY Maritime College, one of the premier maritime academies in the United States, training tomorrow’s engineers and engineering executives – the men and women who will lead the maritime industry in the coming decades,” said Frank Donnelly, President, Wärtsilä North America, Inc.

“Maritime students, studying this state-of-the-art diesel technology will join the maritime community with a greater working knowledge of diesel maritime technology,” said John Hatley, Vice President, Ship Power, Wärtsilä North America.

“The Wärtsilä 26 diesel engine allows our engineering students to work on a state-of-the art engine – similar to one that they will encounter when they are at sea onboard a modern day ship,” said Engineering Chairman Dr. Richard Burke.

SUNY Maritime College president, Rear Admiral Wendi B. Carpenter, USN (Ret.), expressed her deep thanks stating, “Wärtsilä’s vision in this venture is far reaching in its global impact. Maritime College looks forward to a long and productive public-private partnership with Wärtsilä for many years to come.”

October 27, 2011