WinGD Showcases the History and Innovation of Marine Engine Design in Winterthur

24 January 2019

WinGD (Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd.) was host to a group of esteemed delegates from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) this week. The delegation added Winterthur to their itinerary as part of their visit to Zurich, Switzerland for meetings with the China-Switzerland Innovative Strategic Partnership in advance of the 49th World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.

 

Switzerland and China work together in the area of environment and climate change and established the Sino-Swiss innovative strategic partnership in 2016. The two countries held the first gathering of the strategic dialogue in April, 2018, introducing an innovative high-level strategic platform. Another meeting took place this week in Zurich on January 21st around the topic of “Digitalization Drives Innovation”.

 

The interest in WinGD comes through their parent company, China State Shipbuilding Company (CSSC), who acquired the former Sulzer division of the two-stroke engine design business from Wärtsilä Corporation in 2016. The visit was an opportunity to showcase the most recent innovative and sustainable marine engine technology, which features advanced digitalization and data analytics to optimize emission control and fuel efficiency. 

 

WinGD’s engine design history dates back to the late 1800s in Winterthur, where they were founded as the Sulzer Diesel Engine business. As early promotors of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for the two-stroke maritime market, WinGD has been a strong advocate for moving shipping towards a greener future.

 

Today, WinGD continues to be a leading developer of innovative and sustainable marine engine design. The last engine manufactured locally left the Winterthur facility in 1986, after which all manufacturing moved to global operations in key locations throughout Asia, where the majority of ship building operations take place today.  

 

“There is great interest in the technology we are producing here in Switzerland. We are currently the leading designer of dual-fuel, low-speed engine technology. The current regulations imposed by the IMO set important limits for emission reduction. WinGD’s X-DF engine technology, is the leading two-stroke technology in meeting these targets.” said Klaus Heim, CEO of WinGD

 

“The opportunity to showcase our technology to MIIT is especially significant for WinGD as it may lead to further investment from China. They are very interested in improving the outlook on climate change and they recognize the role we play as engine designers, particularly through our digitalization and smart-engine technology. Over 90% of the world's trade is carried by sea. Our work to make shipping as sustainable as possible is essential to the world's economy.”  

 

With a commitment to collaborating with other key industry leaders and global partners, WinGD continues to be on the leading edge of green shipping innovation.  

24 January 2019

Image caption: The delegation comprising various representatives and business associates from MIIT, China, shown in front of the WinGD Diesel Technology Centre, in Winterthur, Switzerland

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