The technology group Wärtsilä has signed two long-term Optimised Maintenance agreements with Japan based NYK LNG Ship Management. The 15-year agreements cover the Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines and other equipment installed on two LNG carrier vessels. The contracts were signed in December 2020 and took effect from January 2021.

The agreements are designed to maximise operational availability and ensure long-term maintenance cost predictability through the utilisation of data input to optimise all maintenance procedures. The agreements also include Wärtsilä’s Expert Insight, a predictive maintenance product that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced diagnostics to monitor equipment and systems in real-time. Specialists at Wärtsilä Expertise Centres are thus able to support the customer proactively with advice and appropriate resolutions to avoid potential operational disturbances and thus increase the vessels’ uptime and availability.

The technical support provided by Wärtsilä and the application of the company’s digital technology will both enhance the reliability of the ships’ operations, and allow accurate budgeting of the long-term maintenance costs.

“As part of our Lifecycle Solutions approach, these agreements are designed to improve our customers’ business performance and competitiveness. By including Expert Insight into our offering, we are adding considerable value to the proposition since it takes predictive maintenance to a completely new level,” says Henrik Wilhelms, Director, Agreement Sales, Wärtsilä Marine Power.

The full scope of the agreements includes all scheduled parts, workshop services, field services, maintenance planning, remote operational support, Expert Insight’s asset diagnostics and anomaly detection, and dynamic maintenance planning.