GE Marine Engines reported that its LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine will power five new Royal Norwegian Navy F310-class frigates. IZAR Construcciones Navales, S.A., will build the frigates at its naval shipyard in Ferrol, Spain.
This is the first naval Combined Diesel And Gas Turbine (CODAG) configuration to be installed by IZAR, and the Royal Norwegian Navy is only the second international navy to adopt this arrangement. The Germany Navy uses an LM2500-based CODAG configuration on its new F124-class frigates.
The CODAG configuration on each F310-class frigate will consist of one GE LM2500 gas turbine, rated at 21.5 megawatts/28,832 shaft horsepower, combined with the two diesel engines for a total propulsion system rating of 30.5 megawatts.
IZAR has selected GE gas turbines for other naval applications: Two LM2500s each power six FFG Santa Maria-class frigates, two LM2500s are aboard the aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias, and eight engines are used on four F100-class frigates – all for the Spanish Navy. IZAR also installed two
LM2500 gas turbines aboard the Thailand Navy’s 911 helicopter carrier in a Combined Diesel Or Gas turbine configuration.
The GE gas turbines for the F310-class frigates will be manufactured at GE’s Evendale, Ohio facility. The contract provides that GE will deliver the first LM2500 to IZAR starting in December 2002 and another gas turbine will be shipped annually in December through 2006. The F310 frigates are scheduled for commissioning beginning in September 2005, with the remaining vessels to be launched annually in September through 2009.