Five Wärtsilä 32 Methanol engines that will power Van Oord’s offshore installation vessel Boreas have successfully passed Factory Acceptance Tests and are now en-route to the Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard (YCRO) in China where the vessel is being constructed.
Scheduled to be commercially available in 2025, the Boreas has been designed to transport and install the next generation of 20MW offshore wind turbines. The vessel will be equipped with advanced active emissions control technology in the form of Selective Catalytic Reduction to significantly reduce NOx emissions. Additionally, a 5,000kWh battery pack will be installed on board to take peak loads, regenerate energy and to reduce fuel consumption further.
With a company target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 – in line with the Paris Agreement – Van Oord is implementing sustainable technologies and alternative fuels to decarbonize its fleet, which currently makes up 95% of the company’s carbon footprint. By running on methanol, the Boreas can reduce its carbon footprint by over 78%. The engine order is the first order for new-build methanol-fueled engines for Wärtsilä.
“Van Oord is committed to lowering its impact on climate change by reducing our emissions and becoming net-zero,” said Harold Linssen, director, ship management department at Van Oord. “Our equipment roadmap focuses on low-carbon fuels and energy efficiency. We see methanol as one of the alternatives to meet the industry’s goals to reduce its environmental impact. The delivery of these methanol engines is a major achievement and a result of successful collaboration.”
‘We congratulate Van Oord on their vision and commitment to a decarbonized future,” commented Lars Anderson, director product management and sales support at Wartsila. “At Wärtsilä we are actively supporting this commitment with heavy investments in engine technologies capable of operating with alternative clean-burning fuels. The Wärtsilä 32 engines for this vessel, fueled with methanol, showcases that shipping is entering an era of greater sustainability.”
