Rolls-Royce announced that the first two pre-production units of the new mobile MTU gas engine have successfully completed their performance tests and were accepted by the shipping company Rederij Doeksen at the beginning of December.
MTU presented for the first time its new marine propulsion units at the SMM International Maritime Trade Fair in September 2016. In the meanwhile the engines have completed over 5,000 hours on the test bench.
MTU delivered the two of the total four 16-cylinder Series 4000 gas engines, each featuring an output of 1,492 kW, for two new catamarans.
Starting from 2018, the two aluminium ships will operate ferry services on the Dutch Wadden Sea. They are currently being constructed by Strategic Marine’s shipyard in Vietnam for the Dutch shipping company Doeksen.
The new 16-cylinder gas engine from MTU will be available from 2018, covering a power range from around 1,500 to 2,000 kW. Furthermore, an 8-cylinder version will follow with a rated output of about 750 to 1,000 kW.
The new gas engine can be used in tugboats, ferries, push boats and special purpose vessels such as research vessels.
During the acceptance test, numerous performance tests were conducted. An important part of the test involved verification of the performance data, the fuel consumption and the engine’s safety features, like the emergency stop.
The new gas engine emits 90 per cent less NOx and 10 per cent less greenhouse gas, while it does not emit soot particles and sulphur oxides. Thus, the emission measurements comply with IMO III emission standards with no additional exhaust gas.
During the factory acceptance test in Friedrichshafen, Paul Melles stated: “We decided in favour of a gas propulsion system, because we will be operating our ferries on the Wadden Sea, a World Heritage Site that has been declared a particularly sensitive area worthy of protection. MTU, with the appropriate pure gas engine, is the right partner for us.”
