Wärtsilä has signed Technical Management Agreements with four Greek liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship owners, Maran Gas Maritime Inc, Dynagas Ltd, TMS Cardiff Gas Ltd and Thenamaris LNG Inc. All agreements cover Condition Based Maintenance for a total of 80 Wärtsilä 50DF dual-fuel engines for a five year period. The agreements have been signed between the third quarter of 2013 and the second quarter of 2014.

Technical Management Agreements include a Condition Based Maintenance system that brings flexibility to operations as maintenance intervals are optimised. The system enables feeding engine parameters into Wärtsilä's database, and the parameters are then evaluated by specialists at the Condition Based Monitoring centre. Condition Based Maintenance enables early detection of performance issues, reduced downtime, optimised engine performance, predictable cash flow, and optimization of major overhauls. Due to constant monitoring, maintenance is predictive and based on the actual condition of the engine, thus bringing a significant opportunity to reduce operating costs.

The agreements with TMS Cardiff Gas Ltd and Thenamaris LNG Inc. also include Online Remote Support, which means that Wärtsilä's technical experts can support the LNG carrier's crew in real time via an online PC connection without the need for engineers to travel to the vessels.

"We expect that this agreement with Wärtsilä will lead to higher availability, increased efficiency, reduced maintenance cost, and reduced risk for the DF Engines installed on Maran Gas Fleet. Wärtsilä's technology, global presence and local support are essential elements for supporting this agreement," says Mr. Andreas Spertos, Technical Director, Maran Gas Maritime Inc.

"With these long-term agreements, we aim to improve our customers' business during the entire lifecycle of their installations. By utilising the latest technologies in our Condition Based Maintenance system, our target is to repair or replace engine components when needed, thus reducing costs and minimising downtime caused by unnecessary overhaul," says Veikko Lepistö, General Manager, Marine Agreements, Wärtsilä Services.

Tags: Wärtsilä Corporation