Wartsila, the marine industry’s leading solutions and services provider, and Wagenborg Shipping B.V. have signed in June 2014 a six-year Maintenance Agreement for fifteen of Wagenborg’s dry cargo carriers. Under the agreement Wartsila will provide all maintenance planning and services for the installed engines and propulsion systems with fixed price. This will increase financial predictability of Wagenborg’s operations and ensure maximised lifetime, performance and reduced operational costs for Wagenborg’s vessels in a safe, reliable, and environmentally sustainable way.
“One important result of this contract is that it facilitates more efficient maintenance. Our goal is to improve technical engine performance and optimise maintenance planning. The contract also allows us to keep our operational costs more controllable; it was very important for us to have unscheduled maintenance included in the scope of the contract,” says Theo Klimp, Fleet Director at Wagenborg Shipping.
Under the agreements made, Wagenborg Shipping B.V. will use Wartsila’s Remote Condition Monitoring System. This system enables optimal alignment between maintenance work and the current state of the engines. Due to condition monitoring and meticulous maintenance planning, the time between overhauls can be extended, which increases vessel availability. Condition monitoring also contributes to increased engine reliability and optimal engine tuning, which saves fuel and reduces emissions.
Fixed cost pattern offers predictability
The maintenance concept covers not only the maintenance of the Wartsila 46F engines, but also the controllable pitch propellers, bow thrusters and shaft seals. One of the key aspects of the contract, marking a major step forward for both parties, is that Wartsila will now be handling all maintenance for a flat fee per operating hour, producing a completely predictable fixed cost pattern.
“Wartsila works hard to help clients secure their business activities in the long term, which is an essential consideration in the current economic climate in the shipping sector, and certainly in merchant shipping. With an advanced maintenance agreement like this one, we are combining high-quality maintenance with lower costs for Wagenborg,” says Henk de Jong, Director of the Benelux Service Unit for Wartsila.
