Wärtsilä opens a new services workshop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Wärtsilä, a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions and services, opens a new services workshop in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Wednesday February 27th 2013, the company reports. The new facilities will strengthen Wärtsilä’s presence in Brazil and enable Wärtsilä to support its customers by offering a wide range of workshop services with rapid response times.
The new workshop will replace the company's current premises in São Cristóvão, Rio de Janeiro, and is designed to bring logistical advantages for the company and its customers. With 4,600 square meters of built area, the workshop will be the largest of its kind in the state of Rio de Janeiro. It will feature, among other things, a laboratory for automation and electronic fuel injection, as well as a dedicated marine thruster facility.
"The location is strategic, both for receiving components as well as for our deliveries, as Niterói is a hub for offshore services in Brazil. This upgraded facility enables us to support our customers even better and service the increased number of installations, as predicted by our customers as well as by the oil exploration industry of Brazil," says Robson Campos, Managing Director for Wärtsilä Brazil.
In Niterói, the company will be able to provide services on a 24/7 basis, thus doubling its operational capability status. The scope of services will also be expanded to include repairs to large engines, and the maintenance of propulsion systems for ships. "Propellers can weigh up to 80 tons. We have invested in the equipment needed to service such very large components in the most efficient and safe way," continues Campos.
About 200 employees will work in the new workshop, 120 of whom are able to work offshore. The team will be connected to Wärtsilä’s worldwide technical support and will join a network of international technicians able to support local projects all around the world.
Wärtsilä Brazil was established in 1990 and has operations in Rio de Janeiro and Manaus with complete offering for the total range of the Wärtsilä equipment portfolio.
Services is one of the three Wärtsilä’s businesses, alongside Ship Power and Power Plants. Wärtsilä Services offers services to both the global marine and energy markets and operates the most extensive service network in the industry. The company’s extensive portfolio of services includes spare parts and field services, as well as the servicing of engines, propulsion systems, electrical and automation systems, and boilers. It also covers environmental services and solutions, upgrades and conversions, long-term agreements for engine and propulsion systems, as well as training services. Wärtsilä’s services business is also in the forefront in developing new service concepts to meet customer needs for optimal operational efficiency. Wärtsilä Services operates some 70 fully owned workshops and employs over 11,000 services professionals.
