The Wärtsilä 31, an engine which was presented last year, is the most efficient four-stroke diesel engine in the world. After being entered into the Guinness Book of Records, it has received the Marine Engines Award.
Since the engine is manufactured in three versions, several types of fuel may be used for it, from light to heavy diesel fuels of different quality. It is intended to be a driving engine for ships which require a power of approximately 4.2 to 9.8 MW. Another advantage is that it requires maintenance every 8000 hours, as opposed to other marine engines, which require maintenance already after 2000 hours.
The goal of the GreenPilot project is to demonstrate the benefits of methanol, which could be used for commercial purposes, as marine fuel, as well as in recreational boats. The scientific and technological project goals are to demonstrate that this fuel can match the other types in terms of power usability, as well as to show its positive impact on the environment. The project was initiated by the state authority called the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Methanol Institute organisation, as a part of the SUMMETH (Sustainable Marine Methanol) programme, with the plan of testing three pilot ships with engines of a 450 kW capacity in the course of the next year. An overview of the interests of global methanol producers for marine fuel was presented at a conference held in mid-June. The Stena Lines company has so far received six international awards for the operation and conversion of the Stena Germanica ferry, with three out of a total of four Wartsila engines powered by methanol, whereas the modification of the fourth one is planned in September this year. The modifications and the use of methanol as the primary fuel will reduce the emissions of sulphur by 99 %, nitrogen oxide by 60 %, fine particles by 95 % and CO2 by 25 %.
The companies China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Wärtsilä have announced that Wärtsilä has transferred its share of 30 % in the Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) company to CSSC, one of the largest shipping conglomerates in China, after which CSSC has gained full ownership of WinGD. WinGD is seated in Winterthur in Switzerland and is one of the earliest representatives of diesel technology, having started the development of large internal combustion engines in 1898 under the name "Sulzer". As an independent international company, WinGD will continue to develop its portfolio of low-speed two-stroke marine engines and cooperate with the services network of the Wärtsilä corporation for the purpose of providing post-purchase support services to buyers.
In December last year, the MAN company presented the last generation of serial six-cylinder engines for working ships. The first engine produced, MAN D2676 LE443, with a capacity of 537 kW (730 HP) at 2300 revolutions per minute, and a cylinder capacity of 12.4 l is intended for use on a new ship for salmon hunting, the LT32 Gilnetter built in the Mavrik Marine shipyard in the state of Washington. The new design of the LT32 ship is adapted for navigation in the shallow waters of the Bristol Bay in Alaska, an advantage in which is ensured by the weight of the D2676 engine, whose dry mass is 1200 kg, that is, 105 kg less than that of the older type, MAN D2876, while its other key advantages include low fuel consumption and quiet operation. The first voyage of the ship is scheduled for late autumn this year.
In America, the German automobile company Volkswagen agreed to pay 10 billion dollars for the buyback of the models with a device for falsifying the results of pollutant emission, as well for compensation to their buyers. It will also pay 2.7 billion to federal and Californian regulators for financing the projects of pollution reduction and 2 billion for investments into clean technology. In addition, it has announced the payment of 603 million dollars for buyers' and environmental claims in 44 federal states.
The 15.3-billion-dollar settlement for the removal of 500 thousand diesel vehicles with fake data on pollutant emissions from American roads represents a record in the automobile manufacturing industry, and the damage to the finances and reputation of the automobile giant could become even greater following the lawsuits and claims in at least 5 more American federal states, Germany and South Korea.
The world’s biggest engine is indeed a great colossus, with a height of approximately 13.5 metres, a length of 26.6 m and a weight of 2300 tonnes.
It has 14 cylinders and the capacity per cylinder is 5,720 kW, which gives it a total capacity of 80,080 kW.
It was manufactured to transport ultra-large container ships which carry approximately 16,000 containers.
The engine has a significant capacity, but also a great "thirst" – if it ran for an entire day, it would consume 250 tonnes of fuel!