Jüngerhans Sets For Slow Steaming
Wärtsilä has signed a contract with the German shipowner Jüngerhans, located in Haren (Ems), Germany, to refit two of its vessels – the 1.900TEU Klaus J and Helene J – with Wärtsilä Slow Steaming Upgrade Kits to cut fuel costs. The 1997-built vessels are equipped with 7-cylinder Wärtsilä RTA62U main engines.
“The Wärtsilä Slow Steaming Upgrade Kits will give these ships considerable flexibility for adapting to the prevailing challenging market conditions. They offer considerable cost savings when slow steaming the ships, while retaining the capability for full speed whenever necessary,” comments Mr Herm Jüngerhans, Managing Director, Jüngerhans.
For ships powered by Wärtsilä RTA and RT-flex low-speed engines with more than one turbocharger, Wärtsilä introduced its Slow Steaming Upgrade Kit in 2008. The kit enables ship owners and operators to achieve major savings in fuel costs by allowing them to slow steam their ships. “The Slow Steaming Upgrade Kit both extends the load range of the engine for continuous operation, and significantly reduces BSFC (brake specific fuel consumption) in the low-load range,” explains Jürgen Gerdes, Director, Services, Wärtsilä in Switzerland.
“Operational flexibility was a major factor in our decision to choose Wärtsilä’s solution. We foresee that the upgrade kit will give our vessels even more competitive advantages. We wanted to have a reliable slow steaming solution in order to be attractive in the market and this gives us an advantage over other charterers,” adds Mr Herm Jüngerhans.