Wärtsilä supports mainland growth with advanced technologies

Advanced technology is reshaping the shipping and power industries, that are the best candidates to take the world on a low carbon future. As the marine industry's total solutions provider, Wärtsilä has harnessed its global technological leadership for the mainland through strategic alliances with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, Cosco and Yuchai groups.

"The partnerships are very important to us," says James Han, president of Wärtsilä China. "Wärtsilä is strongly focused on environmental protection, gas and advanced technologies for fuel flexibility and on high total efficiency. These are also highly important to the Chinese marine and energy sectors which contribute to China's further growth as the world's largest economy."

Beginning its mainland foray with two-stroke engine licensing agreements since 1978, Wärtsilä has been instrumental to the mainland shipbuilding industry by gradually expanding its local manufacturing footprint and staying close to its customers over the past 20 years. It manufactures thrusters, propulsion and automation systems and auxiliary and main engines locally through facilities spread across Wuxi, Zhenjiang, Suzhou, Shanghai and Qingdao. Eight service centres provide lifecycle support to mainland customers, who account for close to 10 per cent of Wärtsilä's overall global net sales.

The joint venture with Yuchai, which will produce high-end medium-speed marine engines, aligns with the central government's programme to increase locally produced content for marine equipment. It is also well-timed for the expected massive shift to use liquefied natural gas as marine fuel in Asia. Wärtsilä Yuchai Engine joint venture will start production next year at the Fushan Industrial Park in Zhuhai - a strategic location for China's international growth as it forms an economic corridor with Hong Kong and Macau.

As the global leader in smart power generation, Wärtsilä is expanding its role as one of the mainland's most reliable technological partners also in the energy sector. The mainland's growing share of grid power is supplied from fluctuating renewable sources such as wind and solar, which require highly flexible back-up power generation to stabilise systems. With smart power generation, power systems maximise efficiency by managing system load variations. This provides dramatic cost savings.

Wärtsilä's gas fired combustion technology also matches the central government's programme to install 50 gigawatts of decentralised gas power plants by 2020. With their capacity for up to 80 per cent total efficiency, Wärtsilä cogeneration and tri-generation solutions can help the mainland reduce its energy bill and carbon emissions.