Wärtsilä engines to repower South American tugs

Technology group Wärtsilä has been selected to supply replacement engines for two inland waterway tug pusher vessels owned by ADM Naviera Chaco (ADM) and operating in Paraguayan rivers. ADM maintains a transportation and logistics network that includes 2,500 barges and more than 160 boats.

Wärtsilä will supply replacement engines for two inland waterway tug pusher vessels operating in Paraguayan rivers – the Decatur Lady (pictured) and the Tendota. (Photo: ADM Naviera Chaco)

The two vessels covered by this contract are the Decatur Lady and the Tendota. Each will be refitted with three Wärtsilä 20 marine engines.

The compact, lightweight, four-stroke engine comes in 4 L to 9 L configurations and with a power output ranging from 0.7 to 2.0 MW. It is designed to offer fuel flexibility and reliable performance in gen-set and main engine applications.

Delivery of the engines to the shipyard took place earlier this year. The vessel modifications and new engine installations will be carried out in Asuncion-Paraguay.

According to Wärtsilä, the new engines will enable a reduction of the environmental impact and increase the efficiency of the tug pushers. ADM’s stated target is to reduce emissions by 25% by 2035, and Wärtsilä said its advanced engine technology provides the opportunity to advance that effort in South America.

“The Wärtsilä engines selected for this project have the fuel flexibility that we seek, especially as we look to the potential of alternative future fuels,” said Raul Valdez, logistic director, ADM Naviera Chaco S.R.L. “At the same time, the project will help us to improve operational reliability and lower our maintenance costs.”

Hanno Schoonman, director of Sales for AMER region - Wärtsilä Marine, said the company is “delighted” that its engines were selected for the project, which he said “highlights the marine industry’s shift to greater sustainability and increased efficiency.”

“ADM’s vision to be the provider of choice to meet the demand for low-carbon intensity feedstocks is very much in line with Wärtsilä’s own commitment to supporting the industry’s decarbonization efforts,” he added.