FPPs ordered for new Greek Aframax tankers

The order was placed with Wärtsilä's joint venture company in China, Wärtsilä CME Zhenjiang Propeller Co Ltd (WCME). Other leading Greek shipping companies have also recently opted for Wärtsilä FPPs, according to the Finnish company.
The contract covers the propellers for four Aframax tankers under construction at the Hantong Ship Heavy Industry yard. The Wärtsilä FPPs will be fitted with the company's EnergoProFin solution, a propeller cap with fins that rotates together with the propeller to produce what Wärtsilä says are fuel savings of up to 5%. The Wärtsilä EnergoProFin has also been a popular retrofit solution to improve the fuel efficiency of many vessels already in service. Wärtsilä earlier supplied FPPs and other products for TMS Tankers and its parent company's vessels.
"Efficiency and quality are the basic reasons behind the success of Wärtsilä FPPs, especially when supplemented by the EnergoProFin," remarked Arto Lehtinen, vice president for Propulsion at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.
Wärtsilä FPPs are based on OPTI Design methodology, which Wärtsilä says ensures optimum performance and minimum levels of noise and vibrations. The result, it adds, is a robust propulsion solution covering the full range of ship operating conditions, and reduced operating costs thanks to the highly efficient, hydrodynamically optimised propeller blades.
Wärtsilä EnergoProFin serves to improve propulsion performance by weakening the hub vortex. It is tailored to the specifics of the individual propeller and can be installed quickly and easily. Wärtsilä says the resulting improvements to overall fuel efficiency mean that the payback time can be as short as a few months.