Wärtsilä to Supply Engines and Record-Size Thrusters for Delfin FLNG Vessels

Wärtsilä booked an order in the second quarter of 2026 to supply engines and thrusters for the first floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) vessels under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries for the U.S.-based Delfin LNG project. The Finnish technology group announced the award in a press release. Equipment delivery begins in the third quarter of 2027, and the vessel is expected to enter operation in early 2030.

The vessel will serve the Port Delfin LNG project, located roughly 40 nautical miles off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Existing onshore and offshore gas pipelines will feed the floating facility. Wärtsilä said it worked closely with project partners during the feed (front-end engineering design) phase to develop a propulsion arrangement matched to the vessel's specific requirements.

What does the order cover?

Under the contract, Wärtsilä will supply:

• Three Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel engines, capable of running on gas or liquid fuel.
• An advanced exhaust gas treatment system featuring SCR (selective catalytic reduction) with Oxicat technologies.
• Three custom-designed inboard-mountable thrusters.

The thrusters will be the largest Wärtsilä has ever produced and the largest currently operating worldwide, the company said. The patented inboard demountable thruster design allows crews to perform maintenance from inside the vessel during continued operations. Wärtsilä said this reduces downtime and supports lifecycle performance. The combined package targets fuel-efficient operations, lower emissions and greater operational availability.

Why does hurricane disconnection matter?

Delfin's lead engineer for hull and marine, Björn Axfors, identified storm avoidance as a core design driver. The ability to disconnect and sail to a safe location when a hurricane warning is issued is essential for a floating LNG vessel operating off the coast of Louisiana, he said. The selected propulsion arrangement, which allows thrusters to be hoisted inboard for maintenance ahead of hurricane season, forms part of a design aimed at reliable operations and the safety of crew and asset.

What did the partners say?

Youngjin Jeong, vice president of the offshore procurement team at Samsung Heavy Industries, said the shipyard was pleased to continue its collaboration with Wärtsilä on the Delfin LNG project. He said Wärtsilä's dual-fuel engines and steerable thrusters, backed by close cooperation between the two companies throughout the project, helped meet the project's specific requirements. Jeong expressed the expectation of delivering a successful floating LNG project and further strengthening the partnership as the market grows.

Bernd Bertram, vice president of propulsion at Wärtsilä Marine, said growing interest in floating LNG projects reflects rising demand for flexible energy infrastructure that can be deployed quickly and run efficiently. He noted that success in these applications depends on optimising efficiency, reliability and environmental performance from the earliest design stages, and that combining expertise in propulsion, vessel integration and lifecycle support helps customers develop solutions meeting both current operational needs and future expectations.

How does the order fit the FLNG trend?

Wärtsilä framed the award against a broader shift in gas monetization. Floating LNG projects are taking on a larger role as the energy sector looks for more flexible and cost-effective ways to develop gas resources and expand export capacity, the company said. Because such facilities can produce, store and export LNG directly offshore, they can lower infrastructure requirements and shorten project development timelines.

Delfin's scheme fits that logic: the floating producer ties into pipelines already in place rather than requiring new onshore liquefaction trains, a configuration that positions the project as a flexible addition to U.S. LNG export capacity on the Gulf Coast.

The takeaway: a Q2 2026 equipment order with delivery from Q3 2027 keeps Port Delfin on a path to first operations in early 2030, with thruster design choices driven by Gulf of Mexico hurricane exposure.