Wärtsilä Supplies Major Engines And Thrusters For Delfin FLNG Vessel

Wärtsilä and Samsung Heavy Industries are collaborating to engineer and integrate specialized marine propulsion and power generation machinery for the first floating liquefied natural gas vessel deployed by Delfin LNG. The system provides electrical power generation, emission reduction, and transit capabilities for deepwater natural gas processing facilities operating in tropical weather zones.

Industrial Operational Requirements
Operating an offshore liquefaction terminal in the Gulf of Mexico presents dual operational requirements. The asset must maintain stable power output for base-load processing equipment while retaining self-propulsion capabilities to disconnect from moorings and sail during severe weather events.

Samsung Heavy Industries handles total hull fabrication and marine integration at its shipyard, while Wärtsilä provides the mechanical feed engineering, prime movers, and steerable drive units. Close cooperation during front-end engineering design resolved the spatial and dynamic interface requirements between the liquefaction deck loads and subsea propulsion machinery.

Technical Solution and Machinery Integration
Primary mechanical power relies on three Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel medium-speed internal combustion engines. These units combust treated boil-off gas or liquid marine fuels, adjusting automatically to fluctuating gas supply compositions from production loops.

Exhaust streams pass through selective catalytic reduction systems combined with oxidation catalyst units to control nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbon emissions.

Dynamic positioning and relocation propulsion use three custom-engineered steerable thrusters. The units incorporate an inboard-demountable mounting arrangement, allowing maintenance crews to hoist, service, and inspect thruster components directly inside the hull structure. This layout eliminates the requirement for drydocking during routine overhauls.

As Björn Axfors, Lead Engineer Hull and Marine at Delfin, stated: "Being able to disconnect in case of a hurricane warning and sail to a safe location is essential for an FLNG Vessel off the coast of Louisiana. The chosen propulsion arrangement, including the ability to hoist the thrusters for inboard maintenance prior to the hurricane season, is part of the solution designed for reliable operations and to ensure the safety of crew and asset."

Target Deployment and Operational Impact
The vessel will operate at Port Delfin, located 40 nautical miles off the coast of Louisiana, receiving feed gas directly through pipeline interconnects.

Operational benefits include reduced unplanned downtime through in-situ thruster servicing, lower fuel consumption across variable production loads, and enhanced storm-evacuation readiness. Equipment deliveries from Wärtsilä to Samsung Heavy Industries begin in the third quarter of 2027, supporting planned commissioning of the offshore liquefaction terminal in early 2030.

Edited by Evgeny Churilov, Induportals Media - Adapted by AI.

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