The Hindu Business Line : Wartsila to introduce new range of ship equipment

, ATTRACTED by the increasing shipping and ship building activities in India, Wartsila Corporation, one of the world's leading suppliers of ship power and propulsion systems, plans to introduce a new range of standardised ship power, engines and propulsion systems in the country.

The new products will be introduced in two packages, Wartsila Propac, involving engines with propulsion systems, and Warsila Auxpac, involving ship power systems, in 2007-08.

The company is in the process of setting up a manufacturing unit in China to produce these systems for India as well as other markets. Mr Sanjay Verma, Head (Ship Power) of Wartsila India, said the company recently concluded a joint venture agreement with Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute, a subsidiary of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, to set up the unit for manufacturing of Wartsila marine auxiliary engines.

The two companies will have equal stake in the project and will together invest euro 6.6 million in the joint venture company, which will be named Wartsila Qiyao Diesel Co Ltd.

"A new assembly factory will be set up in Shanghai, where the new company will manufacture Wartsila Auxpac W 20 generating sets for the Chinese and Indian shipbuilding markets. The company will start its production in 2006," Mr Verma told Business Line.

The new products in the Wartsila Auxpac package will include a comprehensive range of medium and high-speed generating sets.

The product will be offered as a pre-commissioned standard package. The Auxpac generating sets will have different capacities to suit a general cargo vessel, container ship, product tankers and VLCCs.

"These generating sets will be equipped with built-in digital automation system with an integrated electronic governor to ensure smooth control and fast response. The sets are designed to be installed to the ship's hull," he said.

The propulsion package, under the brand name of Wartsila Propac, will consist of a controllable pitch propeller, reduction gear and engine.

"The idea is to produce standardised ship power and propulsion systems that could be installed as it is on the ships, thus saving time for ship builders," according to Mr Verma.

The company has bagged the first order from an Indian ship owner, Shreyas, for installation of these new propulsion systems in four of its proposed new feeder container vessels.

It also bagged a $30-million order from a Chennai-based shipping company for installation of main propulsion engines in six of its vessels being constructed at Visakhapatnam-based Hindustan Shipyard Ltd.

"The market for ship equipment is set to grow in India, as the shipyards in the country face a surge of orders from the world over. Foreign ship owners are increasingly looking at the Indian yards to build their new ships. This surge is fuelled by the inability of global shipyards to accept any new orders for the next three years," Mr Verma said.

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