The History of Wärtsilä

1834

Wärtsilä is established when the governor of the county of Karelia approves the construction of a sawmill by a rapids in the municipality of Tohmajärvi on 12th April. Some years later the sawmill becomes the property of N. L. Arppe.

1898

The sawmill and iron works company is renamed Wärtsilä Ab, which becomes a new company called Ab Wärtsilä Oy in 1907.

1935

Wärtsilä acquires a majority holding in Kone- ja Siltarakennus Oy (Machine and Bridge Construction Ltd), gaining also control of the Hietalahti shipyard (est’d 1865) in Helsinki and the Crichton-Vulcan shipyard (est’d 1741) in Turku. Kone- ja Siltarakennus Oy manufactures for example paper machines and Abloy locks. Soon Wärtsilä's headquarters move from Karelia to Helsinki.

1938

Kone ja Silta (Machine and Bridge) group is merged with Wärtsilä, along with the iron mill Taalintehdas (est’d 1686) just acquired, and the Turku, Pietarsaari and Vaasa subsidiaries.

After that Wärtsilä-Yhtymä O/Y (Wärtsilä Group Ltd) is established under Chief Executive Wilhelm Wahlforss.

The diesel engine era begins when Wärtsilä signs a licence agreement with Friedrich Krupp Germania Werft AG in Germany. The first diesel engine sees the light of day in Turku in November 1942.

1959

In the beginning of 1954, Wärtsilä made the decision to commence the design of its own diesel engines in Vaasa. Wilmer Wahlstedt, a young civil engineer, working then at the Wärtsilä Turku shipyard, was called to Vaasa to lead the design work for that future engine.

In June 1959, the first Wärtsilä designed diesel engine, the Wärtsilä Vasa 14 (with only three cylinders), was started for the first time. This baby engine was so beloved by the design team that their families would visit the factory premises on Sundays just to see it running. 

The first commercial engines, the Wärtsilä Vasa 614 with six cylinders, were sold to Silja Line’s m/s Skandia, sailing between Finland and Sweden. In 1984, one of these engines was returned to Vaasa and can still today be seen in the Wärtsilä factory area.

Story: The birth of the first Wärtsilä diesel engine

1974

Wärtsilä begins to build a new shipyard to Perno, Turku, where the whole Turku Shipyard will move by 1983.

1978

Acquisition of 51% of the NOHAB diesel business from Bofors in Sweden, marking the beginning of Wärtsilä’s international manufacturing operations. The remaining shares are acquired in 1984.

Story: The Day The Flywheel Broke In Half

1983

Wärtsilä floats a share series on the Stockholm stock exchange.

Story: The Focus Remains on People

1984

Wärtsilä floats its second share issue for international investors and is the first Finnish company to be quoted on the London stock exchange.

Story: A Mighty Soviet Beauty 

1986

A crisis in the global marine industry that had lasted several years leads Wärtsilä to pool its marine resources with Valmet, resulting in the establishment of Wärtsilä Marine Oy. Valmet’s shipbuilding activities are joined with Wärtsilä’s while Wärtsilä’s paper machines are transferred to Valmet.

1989

Wärtsilä and Lohja sign a merger agreement. Lohja becomes a major shareholder in Wärtsilä after a privileged share issue.

1990

Wärtsilä is merged with Lohja. An extraordinary meeting of Lohja shareholders approves the new name of the company, Metra Oy Ab, and appoints a new Board of Directors. Metra is defined as “an international industrial corporation whose key areas of focus are building-related activities and the diesel engine business”.

Story: Do they sell toilets here?

1996

European Works Council is born.

Wärtsilä Diesel signs a co-operation contract with its employees leading to the establishment of a European Works Council.

1996

Metra and Fincantieri agree on the merger of Wärtsilä Diesel, New Sulzer Diesel and Diesel Ricerche in 1997, the new company will be called Wärtsilä NSD Corporation. This makes Fincantieri a minority (15%) shareholder in Metra’s largest division.

1998

Metra plans demerger into three listed companies: a diesel and gas engine company, a bathroom products company and an investment company. Despite the postponement of the decision on demerger Metra will further increase the independence of its divisions.

Story: Surrounded By Civil War And Under Curfew: Yes We Can!

2000

Metra becomes Wärtsilä.
An extraordinary meeting of Metra shareholders on 13th September approves the Board of Director’s proposal to rename the group Wärtsilä. 

2001

Wärtsilä expands into biopower and acquires Finnish company Sermet Oy, which specialises in small and medium-sized boiler plants running on biofuels, oil and gas.

Story: “The entire town of Vaasa smelled like burnt bread” 

2003

Wärtsilä to start propeller manufacture in China, Joint Venture with CME - Part of shipbuilding group CSSC

2005

Wärtsilä’s first wholly-owned production venture in China inaugurated in Wuxi.

2007

Wärtsilä and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (HHI) signed an agreement to set up a 50/50-owned joint venture in Korea to manufacture dual-fuel engines for LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers.

2008

Joint venture with Metso combining Metso’s Heat & Power business and Wärtsilä’s Biopower business. Metso owns 60% and Wärtsilä 40% of the joint venture.

2008

Wärtsilä Services opened and expanded offices and workshops in Namibia, Chile, Brazil, Madagascar, Azerbaijan, China, Turkey and Dubai.

2009

Wärtsilä among 100 most sustainable corporations in the world.

2009 

EU approval for HERCULES-Beta Project to Wärtsilä and MAN Diesel. The project is a major international cooperative effort to maximise fuel efficiency combined with ultra-low emissions and to develop future generations of optimally efficient and clean marine diesel engines.

2010

Fuel cell unit installed on a vessel - unique SOFC technology provides power to Wallenius' car-carrier 'Undine'. This unique power unit is the first of its kind in the world, and will during the test period provide auxiliary power to the vessel while producing close to zero emissions.

Story: What’s The Deal With The Irish Debt Crisis?

2012

Wärtsilä-led consortium signed a contract to supply the world’s largest tri-fuel power plant to Jordan.

2014

Wärtsilä was given full notice to proceed from Manga LNG Oy for the supply of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Tornio, Northern Finland. This was the first order of its kind awarded to Wärtsilä.

2015

New Wärtsilä 31 engine was launched. The engine has been acknowledged by Guinness World Records as being the world’s most efficient 4-stroke diesel engine.

2016

Wärtsilä entered the solar energy business by offering utility-scale solar photo-voltaic solutions.

2017

Wärtsilä successfully tested remote control ship operating capability. The U.S. based operator Gulfmark Offshore provided the vessel for the project. The test vessel was in the North Sea off the Scotland coast and the remote control navigating was carried out from the Wärtsilä office in San Diego, California, 8000 km away.

2017

The automatic wireless induction charging system was successfully tested on a hybrid powered coastal ferry. This is the first commercial ferry in the world operating with high power wireless charging capability for its batteries.

2018

Wärtsilä opens two Experience Centres: one in Vaasa and the flagship in the new Wärtsilä Helsinki Campus in Salmisaari. The Experience Centre showcases how Wärtsilä's smart technology and innovative solutions work in real life through a memorable experience.

2018

Wärtsilä starts a substantial investment in a new innovation and technology hub in Vaasa. The Smart Technology Hub will be a new centre of research, product development and production.