Wärtsilä has signed a lifecycle agreement with charity organisation Mercy Ships International, covering a five-year renewal of an existing service agreement for the world’s largest purpose-built civilian hospital ship, the ‘Global Mercy’, and a three-year service agreement for the organisation’s latest newbuild vessel, the ‘Africa Mercy II’.
Both ships are fitted with Wärtsilä engines. Mercy Ships provides free medical care, including surgeries and medical training, in regions with limited access to healthcare, primarily in underserved local communities across Africa. As these hospital ships deliver critical healthcare services, maintaining high levels of operational reliability and minimising unplanned downtime is essential.
Ciarán Holden, Director Technical Operations, Mercy Ships International, said: “Our ability to provide medical care depends on the availability and reliability of our vessels. Wärtsilä’s support helps us plan maintenance more effectively and reduce the risk of unexpected disruptions, allowing us to focus on our mission. Based on the positive results of our existing agreement for Global Mercy, we are pleased to continue this collaboration and extend similar support to Africa Mercy II.”
The scope of the agreements includes spare parts, field services, crew training, and Wärtsilä’s digital predictive maintenance service, Expert Insight. By combining analytics, artificial intelligence and Wärtsilä experience, the service helps identify potential issues before they develop into operational disruptions, supporting high vessel availability and more predictable maintenance planning.
Henrik Wilhelms, Director, Agreement Sales, Wärtsilä Marine, added: “Mercy Ships performs extraordinary work in delivering healthcare where it is needed most. These agreements are designed to provide the operational reliability, maintenance predictability and technical support required to keep their vessels available for service. We are proud to support an organisation whose mission has such a meaningful impact on communities around the world.”
The Global Mercy serves as both a floating hospital and medical training centre. Equipped with six operating rooms and extensive training facilities, the vessel is powered by four Wärtsilä 32 engines, each delivering 3,360kW, for propulsion and critical onboard hospital operations. Its sister vessel, the Africa Mercy II, is currently under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2028, further expanding Mercy Ships’ capacity to support underserved communities and strengthen healthcare systems across Africa.
Image: ‘Global Mercy’, prototype for the ‘Africa Mercy II’, recently arrived in Ghana (credit: Mercy Ships)
