Wartsila has secured orders to deliver steerable and tunnel thrusters for two new wind farm turbine installation vessels that are under construction for China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC), a China state-owned power firm.
The company bagged one order from China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu), the yard building a 3,000t heavy lift ship, and another from CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding, the yard constructing a 2,000t wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV).
Wartsila received the orders in May.
These vessels will provide services in the offshore wind power segment in China.
According to the company, its thruster solutions offer optimal positioning for offshore installation ships irrespective of the weather as well as sea conditions.
Without compromising performance, the compact Wartsila thruster package saves weight, noted Wartsila.
CTGC project manager Wang Peng said: “Wind power is becoming increasingly important for China, and we are building these two ships on a fast-track schedule to support this programme.
“We appreciate Wartsila’s ability to deliver the thrusters in line with our timetable. Their local engineering and project management assistance is of great value to us.”
The vessels will feature optimised thruster configurations, involving WST-32FP main propulsion units and ‘relevant’ WTT transverse thruster sizes.
Said to incorporate a future-proof design, the thrusters’ offer high redundancy for less energy usage.
The company stated that the thrusters will be in line with applicable environmental regulations through the use of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EAL).
Wartsila Marine Power thrusters and propulsion product director Lauri Tiainen said: “As with all Wartsila products and solutions, our thrusters are designed to ensure optimal efficiency, high hydrodynamic performance, less maintenance and better accessibility for servicing.”
China aims to enhance its offshore wind power generation capacity to 50GW by the end of 2029.
Earlier this month, Wartsila secured an order to deliver the main and auxiliary engines, along with the fuel storage and supply system, for a new Italian liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ferry.
