[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rolls-Royce’s high speed engine unit MTU is developing the first high-speed marine engines to operate on pure gas, with first applications planned on European ferries.
In cooperation with public utility company Stadtwerke Konstanz, MTU is building a liquid natural gas (LNG) propulsion system based on its existing engines for a new Lake Constance ferry. The intention is to have the new member of the fleet operated by the public utility in Constance, running on gas between the two Lake Constance towns of Constance and Meersburg by 2019.
The new ferry will be one of the first in Europe to be powered by a high-speed pure-gas engine. The new 8-cylinder gas engine, with a rated output of 750 kilowatts now to be developed by MTU, is based on the proven MTU Series 4000 diesel engines for workboats. The clean combustion concept will make it possible to meet the IMO Tier III emission standards without the need for additional exhaust after-treatment. By comparison with a diesel engine without exhaust after-treatment, the gas engine will emit no soot particles and no sulphur oxides, 90% less NOx and 10% less greenhouse gas.
The new 8V 4000 gas engine will also incorporate gas injection for individual cylinders, a dynamic engine control system and a safety concept optimised for natural gas operation. The new gas engine series is being developed to ensure that it meets the particular load profile of the Lake Constance ferries, with acceleration comparable to that of the MTU diesel engines.
Marcus Wassenberg, CFO at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “We are convinced that gas engines will become increasingly important as supplements to tried and tested diesel engines for shipping. Natural gas is an important fuel for the future. It will be available for a longer period of time and is cheaper in many regions throughout the world, in addition to having a far better carbon footprint than either heavy oil or diesel.
“With the development of the new gas engine and its trials in the ferry operated by Stadtwerke Konstanz, we are taking up the challenge of further improving the emissions and efficiency levels of gas engines, in order to be able to meet future emission regulations and the needs of our customers. The development of gas engine technology and the associated fuel infrastructure will also require state funding until they become economically viable.”
The Stadtwerke Konstanz has relied on MTU engines since 1980. The six ferries operated by the company provide ferry services 365 days a year, 24 hours a day and are powered solely by MTU engines. They carry around 4.2 million passengers and approximately 1.5 million road vehicles a year.
Environmentally sound
Norbert Reuter, managing director of Stadtwerke Konstanz, added: “The deciding factors for us to venture into a new world of propulsion for our fleet are the excellent environmental compatibility of the gas engines and the possibility of saving fuel costs, while maintaining our current requirements in terms of the performance and manoeuvrability of the vessel. As a ferry operator on Lake Constance, Europe’s largest reservoir of drinking water, it is very important for us to guarantee safe and environmentally sound operations.”
In the development of the 8V 4000 engine, MTU will benefit from its previous experience in stationary gas engines and from development work now being carried out for a 16-cylinder marine gas engine, which is currently underway and has just completed initial tests on the test bench. The first pre-series engines will power a tugboat in 2017, which is currently being built by Damen shipyards for Svitzer.
Meanwhile, MTU’s development of the pure gas high-speed engine will be put to you use on another ferry project in the Netherlands. Triyards subsidiary Strategic Marine has been awarded a €44 million contract to build two aluminium catamaran ro-pax ferries powered by single-fuel LNG engines, for Royal Doeksen, one of the largest Dutch ferry operators and a specialised transport service provider for the offshore wind energy sector.
Developed by marine design company BMT Nigel Gee the ferries will carry up to 600 passengers and 64 cars. Construction will begin this summer with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.
A Triyards spokesperson told that the vessels will be powered by LNG-burning MTU 4000 series high-speed engines, which the company said offer efficiency advantages over the dual-fuel engines employed by most gas-fuelled vessels.
Mark Schiller, CEO, Strategic Marine, said: “We foresee an increased focus in the environmental aspects of marine transportation and LNG emerging as the fuel of choice for vessels and ferries. Our focus on the large ferry market is beginning to reap the desired results with this recent win, as we continue to focus on the vertical product chain for aluminium vessels.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
