New Aasen Shipping bulker to feature Wärtsilä's propulsion system

Finland-based technology group Wärtsilähas been selected to provide an integrated hybrid propulsion system for a bulk carrier currently under construction at the Dutch Royal Bodewes shipyard for Norwegian maritime transport company Aasen Shipping.

According to officials from Wärtsilä, the 9,500 dwt bulker is the latest in a series of six such vessels to operate a similar set of technology supplied by the company. Aasen Shipping and Royal Bodewes had tapped the Finnish company back in December 2023 for a similar order, covering three ships.

The eco-friendly newbuilding will reportedly operate one six-cylinder Wärtsilä 25 main engine equipped with a Wärtsilä NOx (nitrogen oxide) Reducer, a Wärtsilä gearbox and controllable pitch propeller with shaft line, and a Wärtsilä ProTouch remote propulsion control solution.

The hybrid propulsion system encompasses a DC hub and a 620kWh battery capacity, a control system as well as battery, power and energy management systems. Moreover, the medium-speed four-stroke Wärtsilä 25 engine is said to have been engineered for easy upgrades to operate on future low- and zero-carbon fuels.

The equipment is planned to be handed over sometime in