What is the Sustainable Technology Hub?

Wärtsilä’s Sustainable Technology Hub (STH), a new integrated centre of research, product development and production is located in Vaskiluoto, Vaasa. STH is the latest tangible step in Wärtsilä’s path to drive decarbonisation in the Marine and Energy sectors. It enables us to innovate and manufacture clean technologies in a completely new way.

In this new technology centre we do top-notch research, develop, innovate and pilot new products and solutions. STH is a one uniform agile testing facility linking together various Centres of Excellence to improve product and solution development by maximising synergies. In this way we are able to effectively put to use all of the know-how we have in Wärtsilä all over the globe.

Wärtsilä has invested 83 million euros in modern testing and production technology for STH. The total investment in the Sustainable Technology Hub is over 200 million euros, consisting of office and production buildings, logistics and infrastructure. During 2022, all of Wärtsilä’s functions and personnel in central Vaasa will be moved to the new Hub, along with the logistics and maintenance workshop operations from Runsor, Vaasa. 

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Factory of the future

The Sustainable Technology Hub is a factory of the future where flexible manufacturing systems and robotics play a key part. STH also acts as an integral part of Wärtsilä´s ecosystem of additive manufacturing. Advanced and flexible manufacturing processes are applied in order to be able to adapt to the constantly changing market requirements while at the same time securing efficiency.

Data analytics also play a significant part in the technology centre enabling data to be turned into insights and new businesses using digital twins and big data analysis. The collected data is used to maximise lifecycle value proposition through continuous chain of critical data from the supply chain. This is continuous business development with no end point.

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Energy efficient building

The Sustainable Technology Hub itself is an energy efficient building. A BREEAM certification is applied for the building. The certification is a rating system that assesses the eco-efficiency of buildings, and guides the design, construction and use of STH.

The technology centre is linked to the grid, and all the electricity produced during test runs is fed to the grid. Residue heat is stored and used at STH. Our offerings are therefore not only sustainable as such, but they are also developed inside an energy efficient building.

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Logistics Centre

Next to the Sustainable Technology Hub there is a Logistics Centre. The centre coordinates all Wärtsilä deliveries in Vaasa.

The centre uses a digital platform to manage the logistics of needed materials for the STH. For this purpose, the centre is fitted with modern information technology.

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Expertise Centre

One of our 11 Expertise Centres is located in STH.

In Wärtsilä Expertise Centres, we monitor and optimise more than 1,000 installations – power plants and vessels of our customers – worldwide, 24/7.

With the help of advanced diagnostics and machine learning, we can optimise our customers’ operations and help diagnose and prevent problems more accurately and faster – as there is no time spent on travelling to the site for troubleshooting.

See how Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia acts as a floating testlab linking to the Sustainable Technology Hub, which allows real time monitoring and management of the vessel.

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Testing and validation

STH enables agile development and efficient research of sustainable solutions.

There is one joint facility for testing and validation of customer deliveries. To maximise the synergies also research, technology and product development happens in this same space.

Besides regular testing, we test run our engines with new sustainable fuels in the STH test cells. Test runs in STH are highly automated, safe, and efficient – and our customers are welcome to follow them from the customer lounge or online from their home offices.

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Fuel laboratory

In STH, with our global network of professionals, top-notch production facilities, and our advanced fuel test laboratory, we pioneer the adoption of sustainable fuels.

Already today, Wärtsilä engines can run with biofuels, methanol, and hydrogen blends.

In the Fuel Laboratory, we conduct advanced fuel research and analysis as well as assess engine compatibility with new fuels to ensure our engines are fuel-flexible.

Based on the fuel analyses conducted in STH Fuel Laboratory, we support and guide our customers’ fuel supplier selection.

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Partner Campus

The Sustainable Technology Hub is an ecosystem of collaboration functioning locally and globally. This ecosystem consists of companies, start-ups, organisations and academia collaborating to ensure future sustainable societies.

At Partner Campus we invite customers, partners, academia, and other innovators to connect and come together in order to create win-win solutions.

The Partner Campus is a global model for co-creating new business solutions together in the ecosystem, and it is connected to Wärtsilä’s other Centres of Excellence globally.

At the Partner Campus, we also do testing and validation of new sustainable solutions in the STH ProtoZone area.

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STH animation

Would you like to see an animated introduction of the Sustainable Technology Hub?

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