Tech company Wärtsilä has signed a five-year contract to ensure operational reliability for four of the Irish Naval Service’s offshore patrol vessels (OPV).
Under the deal, the Finnish company will provide maintenance planning and 24/7 operational support for the ships through Expert Insight, a condition-based, AI-assisted predictive maintenance software.
Specialists at expertise centers will use the tool to comprehensively diagnose the OPVs’ engines, propulsion machinery, shaft seals, and other parts to reduce downtime.
The agreement also includes crew training services, technical advice personnel, maintenance planning, full operational support, and all scheduled maintenance spare parts for the navy’s vessels.
Wärtsilä Sales General Manager Lee Martindale said that the contract underlines the company’s goal to bolster its lifecycle support strategy.
“We provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ support and we minimise the environmental impact by optimising the maintenance services,” he stated.
All of the OPVs are fitted with two of Wärtsilä’s 26 compact engines, two controllable pitch propellers, two gearboxes, two Enviroguard shaft seals and three Floodguard shaft seals.
Predicting Maintenance Service
Wärtsilä Expert Insight highlights potential failures by gathering data from the ships’ equipment and running its diagnostics through a set of algorithms.
It can put out a year’s worth of engine operational data in a matter of minutes, curating a list of potential problems before they occur.
The system is operated at Wärtsilä’s ten expertise centers, located in countries including Singapore, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
