Wärtsilä TMH Diesel Engine Company LLC (WTEC) has been contracted to supply 12 Wärtsilä 20L generating sets for railway shunter locomotives. This is the first order contract signed by the joint venture which was formed in 2010 between Wärtsilä Corporation and Transmashholding (TMH), Russia's leading rolling stock manufacturer.
The order has been placed by BMZ Bryansk, a subsidiary of Transmashholding, in February. The engines will be installed in a series of new TEM 18B diesel shunter locomotives being built by BMZ. The delivery schedule for the engines is during autumn 2013.
"The locomotives are intended for operations in a temperature zone that ranges from minus 50 degrees C to plus 40 degrees C. The challenging climatic conditions call for high engine efficiency and reliability. At the same time, the customer's need has been to reduce the fuel consumption and operating costs with these new locomotives, and in all these areas WTEC has been successful. Furthermore, we can provide the necessary support through our extensive services network in Russia," says Mr Zeljko Starcevic, Managing Director, WTEC.
The first shunting locomotive tested using the new Wärtsilä 20L engine, was awarded a Certificate of Conformance in April 2012 by the Federal Agency for Railway. The certificate gives the right to operate this particular locomotive configuration on the state railway system.
Production at the WTEC plant in Penza, Russia, will fully begin in the autumn 2013 with the annual production estimated to be 250 to 300 engines. These new facilities will eventually employ some 300 people.
By the end of this year approximately 30 Wärtsilä 20L engines will be powering TEM 18B locomotives. All of them will be delivered to Russian Railways.