Molecules – The Eurogas Newsletter (January 2022)

Maritime transport is essential for the functioning of the global economy. It carries most of the goods around the globe. And yet it is one of the hardest to abate modes of transportation. That's where Warsilla comes in.

Our group aims to be carbon neutral by 2030. And that doesn't just mean its own operations (including energy, manufacturing and testing etc), but also a product portfolio that is ready for carbon zero fuels. In Wärtsilä, we committed to two potential industry firsts. Namely, launching an ammonia concept by 2023 and the first hydrogen concept in 2025.

We've always invested in development and will continue at the same pace. We're not reinventing the wheel here, but rather using technology and solutions we have an excellent understanding of. For example, we now have engines you can run on 15-20% hydrogen, or biofuels, so it's about refining, tailoring components and altering solutions.

There's a natural inclination to wait for the silver bullet, but we need to realise there isn't one! However, we have so much we can do now, with our technology today, so let's take action. Let's move forwards, together.

We want to be a credible partner for the transition ahead, and therefore, given the lack of that silver bullet, we need a broad range of solutions But we can't do that alone. So, we will focus on our core in-house strengths - such as combustion engines, battery solutions and digital offerings - and bring in expert partners to provide the pieces of the jigsaw we cannot.

It's about being a part of an industrial ecosystem and interacting with it in a way that delivers optimal end results. The real leaders are those that work together, not stand apart.

The hydrogen project is one of those instances we're cooperation brings progress. We're working with an Australian energy transportation company Global Energy Ventures (GEV) on a pilot 430 tonne, compressed hydrogen vessel designed to advance the commercialisation of green hydrogen within maritime.
This is a really important project t that shows how we're taking action today rather than waiting for others to develop solutions tomorrow. But, of course, we couldn't do this without forward-thinking partners. So, a huge amount of credit should go to the owners and other stakeholders involved.

All those players, us included, that are taking a vanguard position have to be clear about what we're doing. Because developments of this nature need people to move in tandem. There's no point in developing a fantastic hydrogen concept if the infrastructure and fuel aren't in place to enable operations. We need action across the board here. We need to work together.

For Wärtsilä, the way we partner with our own customer base could be set to evolve.
With more industry players seeking predictability in these unpredictable times, we are increasingly looking to lifecycle solutions and services rather than standalone deliveries. The service side is where we see the greatest growth potential from a business perspective We've always offered quality in terms of spare parts and support, but now we want to move up the service value ladder, and one way of doing that is through performance and outcome-based agreements.

Through these Wärtsilä Lifecycle Agreements, we offere guaranteed asset performance, technical management and optimised maintenance to share risk, control costs and drive better uptime, performance and profitability. Over 700 vessels have signed up so far and, Agnevall believes, these early adopters will blaze a clear trail for others to follow.

In the coming years we want to bring more cooperation to the shipping industry and fully implement this idea of life-cycle partnership. Come find us at Nor-Shipping to find out more.

Håkan Agnevall,
CEO, Wärtsilä