Wärtsilä scrubbers first to be certified to c...

Wärtsilä Corporation, Trade press release, 10 September 2009.

Wärtsilä's scrubbers offer a proven solution for markedly lowering
sulphur oxide emissions, thereby benefiting the environment. The
recently awarded certification is an important recognition of
Wärtsilä's intensive and long lasting development work.

After performing successfully in a series of tests, the Wärtsilä
sulphur oxides (SOx) scrubber has been granted the Sulphur Emission
Control Area (SECA) Compliance Certificate by the classification
societies Det Norske Veritas and Germanisher Lloyd. A scrubber is an
after treatment technology for cleaning exhaust gases of sulphuric
oxides. Wärtsilä's solution is the first ever marine scrubber to be
awarded this certification.

Prior to the successful Wärtsilä tests, the use of scrubbers as an
efficient and cost-effective alternative to the use of low sulphur
fuel for reducing SOx emissions from ships, had been questioned. In
referring to this, Arnauld Filancia, Director of Marketing at
Services, Wärtsilä Corporation, commented: "This certification
demonstrates very clearly that the Wärtsilä scrubbing technology
works well and is an efficient solution in marine applications. We
constantly seek, support and combine technologies that offer our
customers similar environmental and economic benefits."

The full-size SOx scrubber test plant was installed on board the 'MS
Suula', and was used to clean the exhaust gases from the ship's
4-cylinder in-line Wärtsilä 20 auxiliary diesel engine. This Neste
Oil owned, Finnish registered product tanker operates mainly in the
SECA Baltic Sea area, where regulations governing sulphuric oxide
emissions are very stringent.

The tests were performed with both high sulphur (3.4%) and low
sulphur (1.5%) heavy fuel oil, and verified that the Wärtsilä
scrubber system efficiently removes SOx from the exhaust gases. The
measurements, which were part of the certification process and made
by an accredited independent body, demonstrated a sulphur dioxide
removal efficiency exceeding 99% in all operating conditions, even
when using high sulphur fuel. This high level of efficiency was
consistent throughout the load range and with all fuels. The
efficiency of nitrogen oxides removal was 3-7%. The removal of
particulate matter was in the range of 30-60%. The approvals covered
also the safety of the installation, as well as the performance.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as well as other
regulating bodies will gradually limit the sulphur content in marine
fuels. The most common fuels used in marine diesel engines are heavy
fuel oils with sulphur contents typically of 1.5 to 3.5 per cent.
Such engines can readily burn low-sulphur fuel oils as well, though
the associated problems are known and suitable operating guidance is
available. Scrubbing exhaust gases is an environmentally friendly and
cost-effective alternative for reducing sulphur oxide emissions down
to 0.1%.

The certification demonstrates the technological excellence of
Wärtsilä's exhaust gas scrubbers. The Wärtsilä SOx scrubber system
complies with the new IMO Guidelines, adopted in July 2009, for
cleaning the exhaust emissions from all 2- and 4-stroke engines,
including main and auxiliary engines, as well as from oil-fired
boilers, in retrofits and newbuilding ships.

The recognition of Wärtsilä's marine exhausts scrubber system
represents the culmination of a project, initiated by Wärtsilä in
2005, to identify feasible solutions and to investigate exhaust gas
scrubbing as an alternative to the use of low sulphur fuels.

Wärtsilä offers a wide range of solutions for emissions reduction,
and the company aims to be a significant supplier of exhaust gas
cleaning technology, fulfilling the requirements being set by
increasingly stringent environmental legislation.


Related information:
Link to press release, 11 January 2007: Wärtsilä to offer SOx
scrubbing technology
Link to web page on www.wartsila.com:
-       SOx reduction (in marine exhaust gases)
-       Wärtsilä's SOx scrubber get certified

To receive a feasibility study for your application, send a request
to [e-mail]


Media contact:
Ms Marit Holmlund-Sund
Senior Manager, PR and Marketing Communications
Wärtsilä Corporation
Direct tel:       [phone]
Direct fax:      [phone]
e-mail:            [e-mail]
Internet:          www.wartsila.com


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 2008, Wärtsilä's net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with 19,000
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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