Wärtsilä Renews 5-Year Hospital Ship Service Agreement and Adds New 3-Year Contract

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 3, Wärtsilä confirmed that it has signed two hospital ship lifecycle service agreements with Mercy Ships International, including a 5-year renewal of the existing service agreement for Global Mercy and a new 3-year service agreement for the under-construction Africa Mercy II. Both agreements have been booked into Wärtsilä's order book for the third quarter of 2026. The scope of services includes spare parts supply, on-site technical services, crew training, and Expert Insight predictive maintenance services, covering the Wärtsilä engines installed on both vessels and their related operational and maintenance needs.

Global Mercy is equipped with four Wärtsilä 32 engines, each with an output of 3,360 kW, used for vessel propulsion and the operation of onboard hospital facilities. Expert Insight combines equipment operational data analysis, artificial intelligence, and Wärtsilä technical support to identify potential technical issues in advance and schedule maintenance operations accordingly. Wärtsilä first confirmed in 2020 that Global Mercy would be powered by four Wärtsilä 32 engines, accompanied by a 5-year maintenance service agreement, with the scope of services at that time including spare parts, on-site services, asset monitoring, and technical support. The current signing represents a renewal of the existing service relationship for this vessel, while also extending service coverage to the newly built Africa Mercy II.

Africa Mercy II is currently under construction at Guangzhou Shipyard International, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Steel cutting was completed in 2025, and the vessel has entered the construction phase, with delivery planned for 2028 and entry into service in 2029. Designed as a sister ship based on Global Mercy, the vessel measures approximately 174 meters in length with a beam of 28.6 meters, comprising 12 decks and accommodating up to 644 volunteers and medical personnel. The onboard hospital is planned to feature 6 operating rooms, 98 acute care beds, 86 low-acuity care beds, and 7 intensive care or isolation beds.

Upon delivery, Africa Mercy II will join Global Mercy in Mercy Ships' hospital ship operating system. MSC Foundation confirmed that the vessel commenced construction in China, is scheduled for delivery in 2028, and will begin operations alongside Global Mercy in 2029. Wärtsilä's 3-year lifecycle agreement has been booked into the order book prior to the new vessel's delivery, but the specific commencement date of the agreement and the contract value have not been disclosed.