Wärtsilä has been awarded a series of orders to supply propulsion solutions for four new dredgers to be built in China and the Netherlands.
The company, headquartered in Finland but with operations in 160 worldwide locations, will supply engines and fixed pitch propellers to Van Oord, the Netherlands-based dredging and marine contractor.
The equipment installation is for the Artemis, the second of two large self-propelled cutter suction dredgers built for the company at IHC Dredgers shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. It is due to be in operation by the second quarter of 2013. The equipment order for the first vessel, the Athena, was placed earlier in 2008 and Wärtsilä is also negotiating a Dynamic Maintenance Planning agreement with Van Oord.
The two other orders have been received from Chinese companies. The Nantong Gangzha Shipping Manufacturing Co has placed an order for two engines, propulsion equipment and systems for a hopper dredger currently being built and scheduled to be operational by the third quarter of 2012.
The Tianjin Dredging Company, part of the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Group, has also placed a propulsion package order for two dredgers being built at yards in China and scheduled for operation early next year.
Aaron Bresnahan, Vice President, Special Vessels, Wärtsilä Ship Power said: “The common theme in all these orders is that the companies trust Wärtsilä to provide reliable and cost-efficient solutions. Over the years, the Wärtsilä team has acquired considerable know-how on dredging solutions, and this experience is of tremendous importance to owners and operators across the world. Dredging is a complicated business and the vessels require a very high degree of efficiency in order to work effectively in varying sea and weather conditions.”
