Wärtsilä launches next generation 46TS engine to balance RE

Wärtsilä 46TS is designed with sustainable fuels in mind, to ensure that when they become readily available, these engines can play an essential role in delivering 100% renewable power systems.

Wärtsilä 46TS engine provides improved output and efficiency to save fuel and costs, with future proof technology that can run on sustainable fuels

Technology group Wärtsilä launches its next generation 46TS engine, which is designed to balance renewable energy, provide highly efficient baseload power, and can run on sustainable fuels in future.

The Wärtsilä 46TS large-bore engine has evolved from a long line of proven and reliable power plant engines, including the Wärtsilä 50 engine platform. The W50 engine is one of the world’s most successful power generating engines of all time, having delivered 55 million running hours around the world since 2008.

Using balancing engines to support intermittent renewables is a more viable path towards a net zero power system than a renewables-only pathway. Balancing power can reduce costs, emissions, and land use, as revealed in Wärtsilä’s recent global power system modelling report, crossroad to net zero which detailed the vital role of balancing power in delivering the energy transition.

Anders Lindberg, President of Wärtsilä Energy, says: “The energy transition cannot be achieved by renewable power alone – we need flexible, highly efficient engines to support wind and solar power during times of low generation. The flexible 46TS engine offers exactly that, expanding our existing technology offering to balance renewables and operate cost- effectively on baseload power.

“This engine is built on our 85 years of engine expertise, incorporating everything we have learned to develop our latest and greatest solution.”

The Wärtsilä 46TS is designed with sustainable fuels in mind, to ensure that when they become readily available, these engines can play an essential role in delivering 100% renewable power systems.

The engine provides a myriad of benefits for power producers, including:

The 46TS engine sets a new benchmark in efficiency and performance, achieving over 51% efficiency, which translates into significant fuel savings and reduced emissions. It delivers outstanding performance even in extreme ambient conditions and high-altitude environments. With an impressive output of 23.4 MW per unit, fewer engines are required to achieve large plant capacities, optimising space and resources. The engine offers exceptional flexibility, responding rapidly to fluctuations with a swift two-minute ramp-up time and no minimum up- or down-time constraints. Additionally, its modular design ensures fast and cost-effective installation, utilising high-quality, factory-tested components that lead to substantial savings in total installed costs.

To support the W46TS, Wärtsilä provides tailored high-quality services to maximise reliability and profitability. Wärtsilä Lifecycle services, with optimised operations and guaranteed performance, ensure the power plant’s performance and competitiveness. A technical service network provides expertise and support near customer and via remote monitoring.

The Wärtsilä 46TS engine will be available from 2025. Last month, Wärtsilä announced the first order for the 46TS engines placed by Kazakhstan Caspian Offshore Industries (KCOI). The engines will support KCOI’s new 120 MW power plant and additionally, the first hybrid power project of its kind in Kazakhstan, which integrates the engine power plant with wind and solar power.