As container ship operators continue to pursue energy savings by slow steaming, it is important to align the necessary engine changes with the arrangement of the propeller. This modification is made possible by the Wärtsilä solutions, allowing the speed of the two vessels to be reduced from 24 to 18 knots.

The two vessels, YM Versatility and YM Milestone, are the last to be retrofitted with the Wärtsilä FPP and EnergoProFin solutions in a sequence of four Yang Ming ships.

The two previous retrofit projects have resulted in three to five percent energy savings in the region.

The newly designed Wärtsilä propeller mass is around 27 percent lighter than the present propellers of the boat. The post-swirl EnergoProFin system eliminates the loss of energy from the flow around and behind the propeller.

“The two retrofit propeller projects already completed with the Wärtsilä systems have been very successful, which is why we had no hesitation in taking the option to do the same with these two vessels. Wärtsilä was also able to meet our tight delivery schedule requirements, and we are very happy with the support they have provided,” stated Jackie Ho, Chief Technical Officer of Yang Ming Lines.

Maritime Business World