Ibaizabal selects Wärtsilä 25DF with NextDF for LNG bunker vessel
Finland-headed technology group Wärtsilä Oyj has announced that it will supply three Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engines for a new 18,600 m3 capacity LNG Bunkering vessel being built for Spanish operator Ibaizabal Group. The engines will feature Wärtsilä’s innovative NextDF technology, which dramatically reduces methane emissions when operating with LNG fuel. The ship is being built at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding yard in China,
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is seen as an important transition fuel as the marine industry strives to reduce its carbon footprint.
However, methane is the main component of LNG and its renewable counterpart bioLNG. When combusted as a fuel, a very small amount may not combust properly, leading to methane escaping into the atmosphere, aka methane slip.
The Wärtsilä 25DF engine has already set an industry benchmark for low methane emissions, down to as low as 1.4 percent at certain load points.
The NextDF feature further reduces methane emissions, achieving as low as 1.1 percent in a wide load range.
Furthermore, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are lower than on the standard Wärtsilä 25DF engine which already has low emission levels below IMO Tier III.
Our company strategy and commitment is for our vessels to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. In line with current and anticipated regulations – both at an international and regional level – we carefully evaluated the fuel consumption and emission performance together with Wärtsilä, concluding that the Wärtsilä 25DF engine with the NextDF feature would best support us with achieving our sustainability goals, said Jose Maria Torre, Fleet Director of Ibaizabal Group.
Ibaizabal Group is a dynamic provider of integrated ship management services to the International Shipping and Offshore industries, and its subsidiary, Ibaizabal Bunkers, is a recognized provider of shipping services to the marine bunkering industry.
Wärtsilä’s state-of-the-art technology not only represents a major step forward in achieving our own decarbonization strategy for our fleet but for the charterer of the vessel. The decision by them to charter this vessel was down to it having the best performance and lowest emissions for that type of vessel, Jose Maria Torre added.
Modular, upgradeable, and flexible design
According to Wärtsilä, its Wärtsilä 25DF engine is “the most efficient and most environmentally friendly marine engine in its power range.”
With its modular, upgradeable, and flexible design, the engine platform helps operators to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, whilst improving the efficiency of vessels.
The NextDF feature will enable operators to go even further in reaching their decarbonization targets. In addition to lower emissions levels, the NextDF feature improves engine efficiency by up to 0.5 percentage points.
The scope of supply also includes two Wärtsilä Steerable Thrusters (WST), which will deliver superior hydrodynamic performance for maximum propulsion efficiency and dynamic positioning capability.
The incorporation of our NextDF feature into the Wärtsilä 25DF engine provides enhanced fuel economy together with a significant cut in emissions. We share Ibaizabal’s commitment to decarbonizing shipping operations and applaud them for being the first operator to take advantage of this new groundbreaking technology for the Wärtsilä 25DF engine, commented Stefan Nysjö, VP of Power Supply, Wärtsilä Marine.
The equipment, the value of which has not been disclosed, is scheduled for fast-track delivery to the yard, commencing in September 2025. The ship is expected to be delivered before the end of 2026.
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