Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel & Turbo to contin...

Wärtsilä Corporation, Trade & Technical Press release, 3 December 2010 at 10:00
am (EET)

Two world-leading European marine engine manufacturers, MAN Diesel & Turbo and
Wärtsilä Corporation, have agreed to pursue a large joint research project, the
HERCULES-C project, as a continuation of the very successful HERCULES programmes
for the research and development of marine engine technology.

The overall vision of the HERCULES research programme is for sustainable and
safe energy production from marine power plants. The technological themes of the
HERCULES initiative have, since its inception in 2002, been higher efficiency,
reduced emissions, and increased reliability for marine engines. However, for
taking marine engine technology a step further towards improved sustainability
in energy production and total energy economy, an extensive integration of the
multitude of identified new technologies is required.

The proposed HERCULES-C project, expected to run for three years from 2012 to
2015, addresses this challenge by adopting a combinatory approach for engine
thermal processes, system integration and optimization, as well as engine
reliability and lifetime. In this way, HERCULES-C aims for marine engines that
are able to produce cost-effectively the required power for the propulsion of
ships throughout their lifecycle, with responsible use of natural resources, and
respect for the environment.

HERCULES-C follows two earlier HERCULES projects. In HERCULES-A, from 2004 to
2007 (www.ip-hercules.com) large-scale research platforms were established, with
the main objective being to screen the potential of a broad range of emission
reduction technologies. Significant improvements were achieved as a result of
this work.

In HERCULES-B (2008-2011) (www.hercules-b.com) the quest for reducing emissions
was retained, focusing on several specific novel technologies. At the same time,
however, more importance was placed on improved efficiency, and as a result,
reduced fuel consumption and fewer CO2 emissions.

The HERCULES-C Project is planned to run over a three-year period and has a
targeted budget of EUR 19 million, bringing the total combined budget of the
HERCULES programmes (2004-2015) to EUR 79 million. The project is expected to be
proposed in 2010 for funding within the Framework Program 7 (FP7, Theme
Transport), of the European Commission.

The specific objectives of HERCULES-C

The specific objectives of HERCULES-C are to achieve further substantial
reductions in fuel consumption, while optimizing power production and usage.
This will be achieved through advanced engine developments in combustion and
fuel injection, as well as through the optimization of ship energy management,
and engine technologies supporting transport mission management.

Furthermore, green product lifecycle technologies will be introduced to maintain
the technical performance of engines throughout their operational lifetime. This
includes advanced materials and tribology developments to improve safety and
reliability, as well as sensors, and monitoring and measurement technologies to
improve the controllability and availability of marine power plants.

The third specific objective of HERCULES-C is to achieve near-zero emissions by
integrating the various technologies developed from the previous collaborative
research efforts.

Please visit the HERCULES website at www.ip-hercules.com and www.hercules-b.com.

For further information, please contact:

Prof. Nikolaos P. Kyrtatos
HERCULES Coordinator
[e-mail]

Prof. Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, Head of Advanced Development
MAN Diesel & Turbo SE
[e-mail]

Mr. Niels Kjemtrup, Senior Manager - Process Development
MAN Diesel & Turbo SE
[e-mail]

Mr. Ilari Kallio
General Manager, New Technologies & Innovation
Wärtsilä Finland Oy
[e-mail]


Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine
and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total
efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the
vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2009, Wärtsilä's net sales
totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has
operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed
on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com



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