As shipowners and operators increasingly look for support in maximizing efficiency and use of their assets in the current legislative and economic environment, Finland’s technology group Wärtsilä has landed a multi-year deal to provide enhanced operational support for two liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers (LNGC) with Athens-based LNG management company, Alpha Gas.
The Greek player is expected to gain more operational insight, availability, and better maintenance cost predictability for two LNG carriers, each with four Wärtsilä 34DF engines, thanks to this five-year lifecycle agreement with Wärtsilä, which was booked in Q2 2025.
As the Finnish firm’s latest deal follows a similar agreement with Alpha Gas in November 2024, covering two more LNG carriers, the four sister vessels benefitting from the lifecycle agreement are the Energy Pacific , Energy Endeavour , Energy Integrity , and Energy Intelligence .
Wärtsilä explains that shipowners and operators in the LNG carrier domain are specifically looking to safeguard the reliability of their vessels, which are perceived to have limited opportunities for unscheduled stops and downtime.
Peter Lonski , Technical Director of Alpha Gas, commented: “Our emphasis is on enabling the highest level of efficiency and reliability throughout our fleet. This agreement with Wärtsilä will help us achieve that goal, while at the same time allowing us to accurately predict our maintenance costs.
“ We also expect to be able to extend the time between overhauls, thanks to the dynamic maintenance planning feature.”
This deal for the LNG ship pair is anticipated to help Alpha Gas optimize operations and maintenance more effectively through 24/7 expert remote support and guidance for troubleshooting and maintenance.
Employing specialist diagnostic tools will allow Wärtsilä experts to directly monitor the vessels’ systems, supporting the crew with troubleshooting activities and rapid fault resolution. The agreement will also help minimize OPEX and lifecycle costs by enabling preventive interventions that can avoid the need for later expensive repairs and on-site visits.
Henrik Wilhelms , Director of Agreement Sales at Wärtsilä Marine, remarked: “The maritime industry is complex with many moving parts; therefore, we take a consultative approach with our customers, working closely with them to tailor the agreement to their specific needs as a means to add value to their operations.
“As every business model is unique, we are fully committed to ensuring our customers’ assets can deliver maximum value throughout their lifecycle. This is especially important in the context of the industry’s stringent environmental targets for net-zero by 2050.”
Recently, Wärtsilä was tasked with supplying cargo handling and fuel supply systems for four new very large gas carriers (VLGCs) being built at COSCO Shipping (Qidong) Offshore.