The technology group Wärtsilä announces the launch of the latest addition to its multi-fuel engine portfolio. The Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engine is designed with a focus on efficiency, environmental performance, and fuel flexibility signalling a new era of medium-speed marine engines. In gas fuel mode, the engine has the highest efficiency thus far achieved in the medium-speed engine market.

The first order for this engine type was placed by Chantiers de l’Atlantique for Royal Caribbean Cruises in April 2021. The engines will be installed on their latest Oasis class ship ‘Utopia of the Seas’. The ship is being built by the shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique and will feature six Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engines with Gas Valve Units, NOx Reducer SCR systems, LNGPac and Transverse Thrusters.

“Cutting-edge efficiency and leading environmental performance are crucial factors when designing our new ships,” says Harri Kulovaara, EVP Newbuilding and Innovation, Royal Caribbean Group. “We were delighted to work with Wärtsilä – as well as with the shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique – from an early stage in development to make sure these engines are the ideal fit to power the latest addition to our fleet while advancing our sustainability journey.”

The overriding basis for this new engine launch is to be able to offer a future-proof solution for owners and operators to reach decarbonisation targets. The Wärtsilä 46TS-DF has a two-stage turbocharging to deliver high levels of efficiency and power density across a wide operational range for vessels in all segments of the industry. This level of efficiency reduces fuel consumption and lowers emissions, while being easily retrofittable for future carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels as they become widely available.

“The maritime sector is having to adapt to the transitional effects caused by the need to meet decarbonisation goals within a relatively short period of time,” says Stefan Nysjö, Vice President, Power Supply, Wärtsilä Marine Power. “This new engine launch provides an important boost towards achieving those goals. It delivers the power to change by setting a new benchmark for greater sustainability through high efficiency, emissions performance, and fuel flexibility.”

Development of the Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engine has been based on the extensive experience gained from the company’s Wärtsilä 46, 46F, and 50 engine families. It is available in 6 to 16-cylinder configurations, corresponding to a power output range of 7.8 to 20.8 MW at 600 rpm. It features an intrinsically modular design, which simplifies upgradability and modifications for alternative future fuels.

The dual-fuel Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engine can run LNG, which dramatically reduces air pollutants as well as offering a viable platform for further decarbonisation through the use of bio- or synthetic methane in the future.