Engines Power News

Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has acquired an approval in principle (AiP) from the Japanese classification society ClassNK for its ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS).The AiP has been issued for the AFSS developed for the X-DF-A, a large, low-speed two-stroke ammonia-fueled engine under development by WinGD, a Swiss designer and licensor of large marine engines.In June 2023 Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and WinGD concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake joint technical studies on an AFSS…

Power and propulsion systems provider Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) announced it has been awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) requirements contract by the U.S. Navy that makes the Beloit, Wis.-based company the sole source for engineering and technical support of the main propulsion diesel engines on the Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.FMD said it will provide global maintenance and repair services and OEM parts to improve engine performance and increase operational availability.

Commercial vessel operators are increasingly leveraging high-tech sensors and the data they provide to achieve greater efficiency and better their bottom line. A condition-based monitoring system offered by Fincantieri Marine Systems N.A. (FMSNA) is engineered to contribute toward both objectives.“FMSNA decided to develop and launch the SOLID because we wanted to help customers save money by avoiding unnecessary maintenance and repair costs,” said Simone Scafetti, technical director and business development manager at FMSNA.

The past few months have been full of uncertainties and even as we look ahead, we don’t know exactly what the future will hold. But we do know that as an industry, we’ll need to prioritize and plan differently. Within the Volvo Penta organization, the team is working hard to understand how to adapt our business as the world around us continues to adjust to a changing economic and societal landscape.As I reflect on what’s transpired since the start of the pandemic, I’m proud of the professionalism and creativity shown by our Volvo Penta team in rising to the challenges.I’ll give you an example.

Incat Crowther has announced a contract to design a 65m catamaran passenger ferry for operation in Korea. The Incat Crowther 65 will be built by Khan Co., Ltd of Geoje-si, Korea and operated by Dolphin Shipping Co., Ltd.The vessel will provide a vital link between Pohang, on mainland Korea and the island of Ulleung-do, where it will be the second largest vessel on the route. It will be the first locally-built high-speed ferry on the route.Incat Crowther will work with Khan to develop the construction capability for aluminium high speed light vessels…

GE Marine Solutions' LM2500 marine engines power the U.S. Navy’s newest Independence class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), which was christened May 5 at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala.Each of the ship’s two LM2500 engines produce over 29,500 horsepower, propelling the USS Cincinnati to speeds in excess of 40 knots or 46 miles per hour.“Our skilled and diverse workforce proudly manufactures the LM2500 gas turbines used to power this sophisticated surface combatant at GE Aviation’s hometown just a few minutes-drive from downtown Cincinnati…

The 10,000th Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for Kongsberg Maritime’s AutoChief propulsion control system took place at Kongsberg Maritime Korea in Busan on Friday, April 27. The AutoChief 600 system tested will be installed on a new LEG carrier featuring a 2-stroke MAN B&W engine being built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (Hull 8258), for owner Solvang ASA. HHI-EMD, HMD and Solvang were represented at yesterday’s FAT alongside experts from Kongsberg Maritime in Norway and Korea.From…

East Boothbay, Maine based Washburn & Doughty said it has secured a contract with Harbor Docking and Towing, of Lake Charles, La., to design and build two 93’ x 38’ Hybrid Z Drive Tugs. The 93’ x 38’ hull is a proven design with 18 tugs in operation and 4 under construction. The vessel will be built as a Harbor Assist Vessel as defined in USCG Subchapter M and admeasure less than 200 gross tons U.S. regulatory tonnage. Caterpillar Marine will provide a ‘stem-to-stern’ Cat content hybrid propulsion system, with support from both Milton Cat and Louisiana Cat in the sales effort. The hybrid propulsion system scope includes 3512E (2,550 HP @ 1…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) announced plans to work with Asahi Kasei Engineering Corporation (AEC) on a project to verify predictive detection of abnormalities in marine rotary machineries using vibrating sensors. The research will focus on the use of vibrating sensors to monitor the condition of key auxiliaries, such as pumps or purifiers, on a car carrier and VLCC that are under construction, using analysis software. The participants expect this project to create not only a standalone onboard monitoring system, but also to allow incorporation of data into the "Fleet Monitor" platform of real-time communication between ship and shore as a part of the Ship IoT system, allowing analysis of abnormalities as soon as they occur.

Perkins marine diesel auxiliary engines have been supplied to four RAmparts 3200-CL tugs built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards Ltd, Hong Kong for operations in Australia and Indonesia. Multico Power Drive Pte Ltd, the distributor for Perkins marine engines in Singapore, has supplied two Perkins 6TWGM engines to each of the following tugs: Hawksbill, Flatback, Loggerhead and Limin ASD 55. Each tug is 32m L.O.A. and built to Lloyds’ requirements with special notations. The Perkins 6TWGM is part of the 1006 Series.

Hybrid drive and potential fuel savings are well known — from 10 to 30 percent, according to the sources we’ve written about over the years. Less known, is the potential need to purchase some sort of remote monitoring package to complement that diesel-electric or battery hybrid system from a system operator in order to secure the maximum safety benefits. As the count of system operators offering hybrid drives grows, so too, it seems, there’s continuous need to look at who they are and what they’re offering.

“No new fishing vessel has been (added) during the period,” says the email we get from Japan’s largest seafood company, Maruha Nichiro Corp. A year earlier, they had bought shares in New Zealand outfit, Sanford, which had just chartered a Nordic-looking vessel. Seafood rival, Nissui, had just done the same, buying New Zealand and Nordic. That all happened after the Naval Architect’s Society of Japan said a vessel based on the Icelandic design of Reykjavik’s Navis was its Ship of the Year.

The Navy will commission the amphibious transport dock ship John P. Murtha (LPD 26), Saturday, Oct. 8, during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia. The ship is named in honor of John P. Murtha, who served his country both as a Marine and in the halls of congress. Murtha served in the Marine Corps for 37 years and saw service in the Korean War and in Vietnam, a tour that earned him the Bronze Star with Valor device, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Murtha represented Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District from 1974 until his death in 2010. The Honorable Nancy Pelosi will deliver the ceremony’s principal address.

Volvo Penta and Danish manufacturer BUKH have entered into a partnership by which Volvo Penta will supply BUKH with diesel engines of up to 16 liter capacity for new propulsion solutions for lifeboats. The agreement between the two companies enables BUKH to extend its SOLAS engine range, and allows Volvo Penta to extend the use of its products in new applications. Lifeboat manufacturers will benefit by the increase in available power options and leveraging of comprehensive technology offered by the two companies.

Rigid hulled inflatable boats (RIBs) have come a long way since their initial development in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s. Long noted for their stability and safety in turbulent seas, they have found applications in rescue work and military settings. Willard Marine, Inc. of Anaheim, Calif. has a long history of conventional hulls and RIBs. They currently produce a variety of models and sizes of RIBs from 4.9-meters up to 11.07. As are all the firm’s RIBs, the SEA FORCE 1100 is available with either fiberglass or aluminum deep-V hulls.

In keeping with their reputation as a nation that can overcome all obstacles, Vietnam is rebuilding its aging fishing fleet. With a government program of soft loans, designated Decree 67/ND-CP, fishermen are building boats along 28 coastal provinces from the north to the south of Vietnam. Capt. Trinh Van Hung, grew up in a fishing family and, after completing his schooling, he fished briefly with his father. His curiosity took him into business as a trader but the call of the sea was strong. At 25, he returned to the fishing.

CMA CGM, a leading worldwide shipping Group, is pleased to announce a 50% improvement in its CO2 performance for its owned fleet. Thanks to an efficient environmental policy sustained by deploying innovative solutions, this success was accomplished in 10 years. Today, a container emits approximately 60 grams of CO2 per kilometer, compared to 120 grams in 2005. The Group best-performing ships emit 37 grams of CO2 per container transported, such as the CMA CGM Bougainville which can carry up to 200,000 tons of goods in 18,000 containers. CMA CGM has improved its vessels hydrodynamics to reduce their emissions. By redesigning its vessels structure, CMA CGM improves their hydrodynamics, thus reducing their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Damen Shipyards Group launched the first LNG-powered Damen EcoLiner inland shipping tanker at its Romanian yard in early February. The EcoLiner, developed to deliver fuel economy for inland shipping operators while at the same time cutting emissions, features a design that combines conventional, proven engineering with sustainable innovations, including the world’s first installations of the ACES Air-Lubricated Hull, a gas-electrical shaft propulsion system and one of the first Van der Velden FLEX Tunnel installations. According to Damen, the pioneering vessel reduces fuel costs by up to 25%.

MTU Friedrichshafen, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, will be exhibiting its drive and service solutions at the international trade show for railway technology Innotrans from 23 to 26 September in Berlin in hall 18, booth 301. The company will be celebrating an anniversary on this occasion: Products from MTU have been driving the rail industry for 90 years. The exhibits include a historical Maybach GO 5 engine as well as current drive solutions such as an underfloor engine from the Series 1600 and a locomotive engine from the Series 4000. Automation solutions and services complete the MTU product range at Innotrans. Karl Maybach laid the foundation for rail drives of the MTU brand 90 years ago with the first high-speed railcar diesel engine in the world, the Maybach G 4a.

MTU, the specialist for propulsion and power systems for ships and commercial marine equipment, has been selected by Memphis-based Southern Towing Company to power six inland waterway towboats. Four new and two existing vessels will be outfitted with a total of twelve Series 4000 Ironmen engines in 8- and 12-cylinder configurations. Engines from the Rolls-Royce Power Systems subsidiary MTU were selected. “Southern Towing’s investment in the Series 4000 represents our belief that…

Engines customized for new Dutch search-and-rescue lifeboat vessels keep running after full rotation on axis. In thrashing, unforgiving seas, a capsized rescue vessel used to be a symbol of defeat. To withstand harsh conditions, sea vessels are designed to right themselves when overturned, but even more critical is the ability of the engines powering those vessels to withstand the 360-degree rollover with no compromise to performance. In these situations, the durability and resilience of a marine engine can be the difference between a rescue or a recovery.

Over the past decade Blessey Marine has coasted on a growth curve taking delivery of a large number of Cummins-powered pushboats for their inland fleet. The vessels are sized to share a common versatility with the draft and horsepower to work both the shallower waters of the Intracoastal Waterway and power for the big flows of the Mississippi River. A look at the company equipment list (http://www.blessey.com/Equipment/Vessels/EquipmentList.pdf ) shows a number of vessels with either 1700 or 2000 horsepower. The lower HP boats are 76 feet long while the higher HP boats are 80 to 88 feet long. Both sets of vessels are fitted with a pair of the popular K38M main engines. The 76-footers each have the engines with an 850-HP rating while the larger hulls have the 1000-HP rating.

The Saigon Shipbuilding & Marine Industries One Member Co, Ltd. (Saigon Shipmarin) is completing construction of an 60- x 11-meter LPG carrier. With capacity for 1,400 cubic meters in two tanks the vessel’s hull has a four-meter molded depth and a 2.6-meter draft. Designed by a related company to Saigon Shipmarin, the vessel, to be named FACO, is owned by the F.A. Joint Stock Company. Being built to the Vietnam Register Rules and National Inland Regulations, the vessel will be classed for near shore and river operations.