Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (MHI) is to take over Wärtsilä’s diesel engine manufacturing unit in Mulhouse, France along with around 70 staff.
MHI will use the Mulhouse unit to manufacture its own high-speed diesel engines though details of the transfer and commercial terms were not disclosed. Wärtsilä will continue to provide service and maintenance for its engines in France and employs 450 people in the country.
The move completes the restructuring programme initiated by Wärtsilä in 2003, in which the company decided to concentrate on its strong products of medium and low-speed engines. As part of the restructuring in August 2004 Wärtsilä sold the product rights of the high-speed Wärtsilä 200 and 220 engines to Dresser Inc in the US.
