Similar dredger to that being powered by Wiltsila Photo: Wartsila The Finnish power solutions provider Wartsila has won its biggest-ever order to supply engines for a stationary cutter suction dredger being built at a Chinese yard for a Chinese contractor.

"With a total installed power of 24,000kW - driving two dredge pumps plus generators - and 5,200kW of cutter power, this will be one of the world's largest cutter dredgers," a Wartsila spokeswoman told IHS Maritime.

"The vessel, as yet unnamed, will be fitted with four 12-cylinder Wartsila32 engines, two of which will be used to drive the dredge pumps, and for this application they will run at 775rpm instead of the normal 750 rpm."

Though the contract value has not been disclosed, the source confirmed "the engines are being built in Vaasa, Finland, and are fully compliant with the IMO Tier II exhaust emissions regulations. They are scheduled to be delivered in August 2015, while the dredger is scheduled to be launched early in February 2016".

Designed by the Design & Research Institute of Ship and Ocean Engineering at Shanghai Jiaotong University, the dredger is being built for Jiangsu Haihong Construction Engineering at the company's yard in China and will have a 6,500m?production capacity per hour. It's destined for deployment in the South China Sea and in Middle Eastern waters.

Although it's a stationary rather than ocean-going vessel and will need to be towed or transported to dredging sites, its total installed power and cutter power puts it into the world's top ten, according to IHS Maritime's International Dredging Directory.

"Wartsila has supplied engines and propellers for Chinese owners' hopper dredgers but this is the largest contract for a non-self-propelled cutter dredger," the source said.

"The owner's requirements for this important vessel are high efficiency and reliability with low operating costs," said W?tsil?Ship Power area sales director Hans Laheij. "It's another notable contract - more Chinese ship owners and shipyards are selecting W?tsil?for their vessels and this further strengthens our position in the Chinese shipbuilding market."

"Wartsilas engines have proven reliability and fuel oil flexibility, which is important in dredgers," said Jiangsu Haihong president Meng XianHong. "We hope this project will lead to a long-term co-operation between our companies."