Use of ultra low sulphur diesel fuel
Wärtsilä reports that it has been contracted by Arctia Offshore of Finland to fit combined NOx reducer (NOR) and oxidation catalyst (OXI) technology to two of Arctia’s multi-functional icebreaking vessels.
The ships, Fennica and Nordica, are based on a modified icebreaker design, and at the same time as the new equipment is fitted, the machinery will be converted to enable the use of ultra low sulphur diesel fuel. The conversion will allow the ships to fulfil the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emission requirements for operating in the Arctic Ocean. This, says Wärtsilä, opens up the possibility for Arctia Offshore to participate in arctic oil exploration projects in an environmentally sustainable manner.
The work will involve fitting the combined Wärtsilä NOR/OXI solution to each of the eight engines that drive the two vessels. The installation schedule is divided into two parts, with the first set scheduled for completion by the end of December 2011, and the second set by the end of April 2012. The emission control device consists of a combined abatement system designed to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and to enable the oxidation of carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons. This customised solution has been specifically engineered to meet the EPA emission standards.
The Wärtsilä NOx reducer is based on selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technologies, and the company claims it achieves a reduction in NOx emissions of 85%-95%. The Wärtsilä oxidation catalyst oxidizes unburned components with the help of the residual oxygen in the flue gas, and forms carbon dioxide and water as end products.
“This represents yet another example of Wärtsilä’s competence in designing integrated solutions that are both technically advanced and environmentally sustainable. The conversion work that we will carry out on these two offshore service vessels will not only reduce their environmental impact, but will notably enhance their operational capabilities by allowing them to work in the sensitive environment of the Arctic Ocean,” says Leonardo Sonzio, director environmental services, Wärtsilä.
Wärtsilä’s SCR product range caters for the needs of all four-stroke engines in Wärtsilä’s portfolio, and is designed for seamless integration into the engine control system. The units come with a complete prefabricated ancillary system. Wärtsilä claims significant field experience in running SCR on its own engines in marine and power plant applications, since the early 1990s. As a result, Wärtsilä has developed a standard selection of modularised SCRs under the Nitrogen Oxides Reducer (NOR) product name in close co-operation with a major catalyst manufacturer. The solution is designed to combine efficiency with minimal investment and operational costs.
Source: The Motorship