New Ibaizabal LNG bunkering vessel will be Wärtsilä 25DF powered

Wärtsilä will supply three Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engines for a new 18,600 cubic meter capacity LNG bunkering vessel being built for Spanish operator Ibaizabal [ Image© Ib

Wärtsilä will supply three Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engines for a new 18,600 cubic meter capacity LNG bunkering vessel being built for Spanish operator Ibaizabal at China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding. The engines will feature Wärtsilä’s NextDF technology, which reduces methane emissions when operating with LNG fuel.

LNG is an important transition fuel as the marine industry strives to reduce its carbon footprint. However, the main component of LNG is methane and when burned as a fuel, a very small amount may not combust properly, leading to methane escaping into the atmosphere.

The Wärtsilä 25DF engine has already set an industry benchmark for low methane emissions, down to as low as 1.4% at certain load points. The NextDF feature further reduces methane emissions, achieving as low as 1.1% in a wide load range. Additionally, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are lower than on the standard Wärtsilä 25DF engine which already has NOx emission levels below IMO Tier III.

“Our company strategy and commitment is for our vessels to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible,” says Jose Maria Torre, fleet director at Ibaizabal Group. “In line with current and anticipated regulations – both at an international and regional level – we carefully evaluated the fuel consumption and emission performance together with Wärtsilä, concluding that the Wärtsilä 25DF engine with the NextDF feature would best support us with achieving our sustainability goalsTorre continues: “Wärtsilä’s state-of-art technology not only represents a major step forward in achieving our own decarbonization strategy for our fleet, but for the charterer of the vessel. The decision by them to charter this vessel was down to it having the best performance and lowest emissions for that type of vessel.”

Wärtsilä says that its 25DF engine is the most efficient and most environmentally friendly marine engine in its power range.

With its modular, upgradeable, and flexible design, the Wärtsilä 25DF engine platform helps operators to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, while improving the efficiency of vessels. The NextDF feature will enable operators to go even further in reaching their decarbonization targets. In addition to lower emissions levels, the NextDF feature improves engine efficiency by up to 0.5 percentage points.

In addition to the engines, the scope of supply also includes two Wärtsilä steerable thrusters (WST) which will deliver superior hydrodynamic performance for maximum propulsion efficiency and dynamic positioning capability.

“The incorporation of our NextDF feature into the Wärtsilä 25DF engine provides enhanced fuel economy together with a significant cut in emissions,” says Stefan Nysjö, vice president of power supply, Wärtsilä Marine. “We share Ibaizabal’s commitment to decarbonizing shipping operations and applaud them for being the first operator to take advantage of this new groundbreaking technology for the Wärtsilä 25DF engine.”

The equipment is scheduled for fast-track delivery to the yard, commencing in September 2025. The ship is expected to be delivered before the end of 2026.