Caterpillar to Power Series of NCL Cruise Ships

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems (CMPS) has been awarded a contract to supply the main engines on new cruise ships for US-based Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL Corp. Ltd.) NCL will introduce a new generation of Freestyle Cruising vessels, underlining its goal to have the youngest fleet in the cruise industry by 2010. CMPS will supply 3x MaK 12 M 43 C and 3x MaK 16 M 43 C marine engines per vessel, which will form a power plant providing a total of 79.8 MW for ship propulsion and on-board electricity supply. Aker Yards S. A. in Saint Nazaire, France has a firm order from NCL to build two cruise vessels under the project name F3 for delivery in 2009 and 2010. NCL has an option for a third vessel due for delivery in 2011. The capacity of these ships will be some 6,400 people. They will have 2,100 passenger cabins with 4,200 lower passenger berths and 2,200 crew. The post-Panamax vessels will be approximately 325 metres long, 40 metres wide, and have a gross tonnage of about 150,000. They will be designed for world-wide cruising, including the Caribbean and Europe. The so-called third generation vessels will have state-of-the-art amenities for passengers, including multiple restaurant and entertainment options, to support NCL’s Freestyle Cruising concept. The related customer service philosophy named S.T.Y.L.E. (Service, Teamwork and Yes Lead to Excellence) ties in with Team Caterpillar’s commitment to total customer satisfaction. CMPS will deliver the best product and service allowing NCL to operate its vessels hassle-free, economical and environment-friendly. CMPS is introducing advanced technology for the propulsion plant. A customer-specific engine rating will address all areas of concern: NOx emissions, CO2 emissions and smokeless operation.

The engines not only will meet DNV Clean Design requirements reducing NOx emissions to 10.4 g/kWh, but lower cylinder rating also decreases the specific fuel oil consumption and thus also CO2 emissions. Finally, elements of Caterpillar’s ACERT Technology and the unique Flexible Camshaft Technology (FCT) will ensure that smoke at all operating conditions is well below visibility. Utilising this package of innovations, the MaK engines for NCL will meet both the extended expectations of customers and the strict legislative rules which must be adhered to, for example the Alaska Marine Vessel Visible Emission Standards.