Wärtsilä Has Been Helping to Decarbonize the Maritime Industry by Providing a New Engine for the Inland Waterway Pusher Vessel
Wärtsilä will retrofit a pusher vessel on the São Francisco River in Brazil with an unprecedented push to increase efficiency, reduce emissions, and cut costs. The order was included in Wärtsilä’s earlier order book.
Wärtsilä has agreed to supply three Wärtsilä 20 engines, three fixed pitch propellers, and three gearboxes for the conversion. It is estimated that once this conversion is complete, there will be significant annual savings. Over 5000 operating hours, there will be savings in fuel consumption, as well as parts and services cost. And with new efficient propellers installed as part of the project, even more fuel consumption will be reduced.
“At Hidrovias do Brasil, our goal is to always focus on optimizing efficiency and innovation. Our Herkules V re-powering project will support this commitment by reducing the environmental impacts of our operations while enhancing their efficiency and safety,” says Ricardo Brandalise, Head of Maintenance Brazil & Paraguay. We always look for partners who share our ambitions for cleaner and more efficient ways of working, and Wärtsilä is that kind of company.
“An important aspect of our business is ensuring a sustainable future, and this project will contribute to that goal. We’re happy to work with Hidrovias to help them achieve their sustainability goals. We’ve had an existing Optimised Maintenance agreement with them since 2017, covering 30 Wärtsilä engines. The current delivery will be added to the agreement,” says Luis Grotz, Project Sales Manager, Americas at Wärtsilä.
The equipment is scheduled to be delivered in December 2022, and the project is expected to be completed by February 2023.
The Wärtsilä family of marine engines has a long history with Hidrovias do Brasil; they currently provide the engines for two ships under construction. Once those vessels are delivered, there will be 39 Wärtsilä 20 engines on Hidrovias inland waterway pushers in total.