Wärtsilä Inaugurates Hybrid Center For Marine Applications

Wärtsilä has inaugurated a Hybrid Center designed to enable further development and deployment of the Wärtsilä HY hybrid power module, while at the same time providing customers with the possibility to experience the benefits of the Wärtsilä HY.

The center, in Trieste, Italy, will also be used to train crews and provide hands-on experience for technicians. The company said the center is the world’s first real-scale hybrid facility, comprising an engine, batteries, power drives, a propeller load simulator utilizing an electric motor, a power take off/in motor generator, together with the overall energy management system, the ‘brain’ of the Wärtsilä HY. It is capable of simulating operational data from the field, which will help enable optimization of the hybrid system.

By providing owners and operators the chance to experience and familiarize themselves with the Wärtsilä HY, the company said it believes the investment will accelerate the introduction of hybrid technologies to the marine market, thereby boosting the environmental sustainability of shipping. Successful testing has already been carried out on Wärtsilä’s patented electric start-up procedure, which utilizes the power from batteries to deliver a smokeless start of the main engine.

“Wärtsilä’s Smart Marine approach to delivering greater efficiencies, improved safety, and enhanced sustainability is once again demonstrated with this innovative Hybrid Center. This unique concept clearly shows the commitment we have to lead the industry towards a cleaner and more cost-effective future,” said Stefan Wiik, vice president, Marine Power Solutions, Wärtsilä.

In addition to being used to validate hybrid technologies, the center will also welcome customer groups to learn in practical terms the technical aspects of the Wärtsilä HY, as well as the value-adding benefits it offers. Additionally, the energy generated by the center will be fed to the factory grid to provide sustainable power to the company’s production facilities.