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Wärtsilä opens propulsion test centre in Finland

LNG Industry,


Wärtsilä will open its new test facility for future propulsion products and technology today.

The Wärtsilä Propulsion Test Centre has been established and funded by Wärtsilä with support from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, who will provide the resources to operate the facility. The test centre is located in Tuusula, southern Finland.

The new facility will allow Wärtsilä to rapidly advance the development of new, high quality and environmentally friendly propulsion products in joint projects with research institutes, universities and suppliers. The centre will have an important role in propulsion research and development activities carried out by the company, including functional and endurance testing.

‘Higher propulsion efficiency’

The test equipment has a capacity for thrusters up to approximately 2 MW in power. The main components are a frequency converter with an electrical motor and generator, a specially designed gearbox and a hydraulic loading system. The test centre covers an area of approximately 200 m2, and includes essential auxiliary systems such as cooling, controls and lubrication.

President of Ship Power at Wärtsilä, Jaakko Eskola, commented: “This investment in a full scale test facility for propulsion products is one of the key elements in our strategy for supporting and assisting our customers in lowering operating costs through higher propulsion efficiency and lower maintenance expenses. Having a technology development centre enables us to provide the best possible technical support for the propulsion needs of the entire marine sector”.

Benefits offered by the test centre include:

  • The ability to stretch the limits of current propulsion products.
  • The ability to validate future products and new technologies before introduction to the market.
  • The introduction of cost efficient components, new environmentally friendly lubricants and new propulsion diagnostic techniques.

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/28112013/w%C3%A4rtsil%C3%A4_propulsion_test_centre_506/

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