Caterpillar Motoren News

In its sustainability report, Scandlines committed to ferry operations with zero direct emissions by 2040.In support of this, the ferry company has signed an MoU with Caterpillar Motoren to explore the possibilities of converting the current MaK diesel of the Rostock-Gedser hybrid ferries to run on e-methanol. The use of e-methanol produced from renewable energy sources can reduce CO2 emissions by 95% under ideal circumstances.Scandlines already combines three technologies on the Rostock-Gedser route: traditional diesel operation, battery operation and wind power.

Stena RoRo and Caterpillar Motoren have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote the use of methanol as fuel on board MaK-powered E-flexer class ferries.The partners will work together to explore alternative fuel solutions to reduce CO2 emissions from ferry operations. This includes the development and feasibility of converting MaK-powered ferries from diesel to methanol. An initial pilot project involves a Stena ferry equipped with VM 43 C MaK engines.Methanol is among a number of fuels being explored as an option to help the maritime industry reduce its environmental footprint.

New hydrogen fuel capability reduces CO2 emissions of Cat G20CM34Caterpillar Motoren introduced a new alternative fuel option enabling usage of up to 25% of hydrogen content mixed with natural gas in Cat G20CM34 engines. Prior to this upgrade, G20CM34 gas engines operated with a hydrogen content of up to 10%."With the expected admixture of up to 20 percent in existing natural gas grids, this upgrade is focused on offering our customers a maximum of operational flexibility for their future needs…

Kjeld Åbo, Chairman of CIMAC (the International Council on Combustion Engines) Fuels Working Group and Director Customer Support, Two Stroke Marine at MAN Diesel & Turbo, has said that the IMO’s proposed 0.5 percent marine fuel sulfur content limit was not unexpected but that there were a number of practical and strategic issues that needed to be addressed if the new regulations were to be implemented successfully by 2020. This article looks at how manufacturers of marine engines are rising to the challenge of meeting the IMO’s new sulfur oxides (Sox) emissions standards.

Caterpillar Marine said its dual fuel engines have been selected for a new generation of cruise ships; tThe company’s MaK 16 M 46 DF dual fuel engines, along with the full LNG supply and handling system, are to be installed on four new ships, two apiece under construction at Meyer Werft’s Papenburg (Germany) and Turku (Finland) shipyards. Caterpillar Marine now offers all round LNG propulsion solutions – from shore-side bunkering to on-board storage; from bunker tanks via LNG handling and treatment to the dual fuel engines including automation systems…

Napier Turbochargers has been awarded Caterpillar’s Supplier Quality Excellence Process (SQEP) Certification. Caterpillar’s SQEP program is designed to place emphasis on supplier performance excellence: to earn SQEP, suppliers must provide superior performance in several categories including product quality, delivery, customer service, process control and continuous improvement. This certification demonstrates Napier Turbochargers values and principles in conducting business and…

Engine manufacturer Perkins hires Andrew Goldspink to succeed retiring general manager Steve Phillips. After 30 years at engine manufacturer Perkins, Steve Phillips has elected to retire from his role as General Manager of the company’s marine facility in Wimborne. Over his years at Perkins, Phillips has held leadership roles in Parts and Service (London), Marine Service Manager for the Asia Pacific region (Singapore), through to his current role as General Manager (Wimborne, UK).

At the beginning of 2015 the exhaust limit values for sulfur oxides (SOx) grew ever tighter in emission controlled areas. And with the start of 2016, nitrogen oxides (NOx) values in certain emission control areas (ECAs) will be even more restricted. Dual fuel engines such as the newly developed MaK M 46 DF from Caterpillar help to support the drive for cleaner emissions in the maritime sector. Able to alternate from gas to diesel mode during operation, the new engine range offers the flexibility to operate vessels reliably in all geographical areas…

Caterpillar Motoren is a German-American success story,” were the opening words of Oswald Schöffel, CEO of the Caterpaillar Motoren GmbH, Kiel, Germany, in welcoming guests and select media to the Caterpillar Motoren Kiel facilities earlier this summer for a product presentation of the latest developments in MaK Medium Speed Engines. “The company has grown continually during the recent years and has gained with its innovative products a very good position in the market segments of the shipping industry, stationary power generation as well as in the oil and gas industry.

L-3 SAM Electronics announced today that it has completed the supply and installation of extensive drive equipment, as well as automation, navigation and positioning systems, on board the Heavy-Lift Jack-Up Vessel (HLJV) Vidar, which is operated by HOCHTIEF Infrastructure GmbH for construction and service support of offshore wind farms. The Vidar is the latest in a series of recently completed offshore turnkey projects undertaken by L-3 SAM Electronics on behalf of leading operators in the world’s offshore industry.

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announces a new Repair and Exchange Parts (REParts) program with cost savings. MaK REParts are original used parts rebuilt to the same quality standards as their original OEM parts. By employing state-of-the-art salvage techniques and quality control standards, MaK parts are returned to their original specifications, assuring same-as-new-performance and reliability. The technology for the remanufacturing standards are the same that are used on the Cat® Reman parts utilized in the Cat brand marine engines. As a measure of their quality, these MaK REParts carry the same warranty as new MaK parts, underscoring Caterpillar Marine Power Systems’s commitment to its customers.

MaK Propulsion Engines, DEP solutions chosen for Ostensjo Rederi AS  newbuild. Caterpillar Marine Power Systems was recently selected to provide 2x 6 M 25 C and 2x 9 M 25 C propulsion engines for an Ostensjo Rederi AS offshore supply newbuild. Each 6 M 25 C engine will provide 2000 kW @ 750 rpm. The 9 M 25 C will each provide 3000 kW @ 750 rpm of rated power. All engines feature a new innovative air injection system, designed to ensure load response remains in a low rpm range and are packaged with the Siemens BLUEDRIVE PlusC diesel electric propulsion systems. The vessel is slated to begin operations in fall 2013. “The goal of this specific newbuild project was to have a significant reduction of environmental emissions…

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems was recently selected to provide combined propulsion systems for two Scandlines ferry newbuilds. The two ferries will each be equipped with 5x MaK 9 M 32 C engines with Cat Common Rail. Each M 32 C engine produces 4,500 kW at 600 rpm for 22,500 kW of total power per vessel. The engines are optimized for smokeless operation and reduced nitrogen emission levels, which fulfill IMO II requirements. “Based on the success of the retrofitted M 32 C engines on container vessels…

Held on 9 September at SMM, more than 150 delegates attended this year's CIMAC Circle, covering the total cost of ownership of marine propulsion engines. Inevitably, the panel of engine builders, engine (vessel) operators and engine system and component makers were strongly influenced by the effects on engine first costs and engine running costs of the upcoming IMO Tier II and Tier III emissions regulations, due in 2011 and 2015 respectively. As Dr. Udo Schlemmer-Kelling of Caterpillar Motoren noted in the title of his lively presentation: IMO III is knocking at our door. The levels of emissions reduction prescribed by IMO Tier III for vessels operating in Emissions Control Areas clearly come at a price…

The work done at Catepillar’s Kiel Engine Center in Kiel, Germany, during the manufacturing process for MaK and Cat engines up to 16,000 kW is now being recognized through an environmental protection award. In June, Caterpillar Motoren, the manufacturing arm focused on the production of MaK and Cat engines for marine, petroleum and power generation applications, was awarded an Environmental Award from the Economic Association of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state in Germany.

The Norwegian Epic departed the STX France Shipyard on 17 June 2010 heading towards New York City for its inaugural event. The power behind the massive vessel is the most innovative power plant that has ever been provided from Caterpillar Marine Power Systems – 3x MaK 12 M 43 C and 3x MaK 16 M 43 C vee-type engines. With discussions and planning dating back to late 2006 on Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) F3 project, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems was chosen to power the new vessel…

While most college students completed their spring semester and departed campus for summer jobs, internships or volunteer opportunities, nearly 250 cadets from the Maine Maritime Academy are utilizing the summer months to gain valuable experience out on the open seas. Launching from Castine, Maine, United States, these young men and women boarded the Training Vessel State of Maine and charted their course east for a cruise through western Europe, including stops in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. However, one of the most unique experiences of the trip was a cruise through the Kiel Canal in Germany, which links the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Caterpillar is celebrating the launch of a new logistic center located in Henstedt-Ulzburg, Germany, north of the city of Hamburg. The warehouse, comprising an interior area of nearly 161,450 sq ft, is the fourth facility in Germany for Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co, and will serve as a hub for MaK spare parts for customers throughout the world. With its close proximity to both the international airport and the port infrastructure in Hamburg, the logistic center will increase velocity for parts availability to customers and reduce costs. The modern warehouse was designed and built according to logistic standards developed by Caterpillar, as well as the manufacturing standards developed through 6 Sigma and Cat Production System (CPS).

Over the course of the last two years, one of the top priorities for Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has been safety, not only of employees, but also of the customers who operate Cat and MaK marine engines around the world. Internally, Caterpillar facilities are measured monthly by safety metrics recording new injuries, recordable injuries and lost time injuries. By establishing metrics on the production floor and in the office environment, employees have been more aware of eliminating safety hazards to protect themselves and their colleagues.

As she entered the Hamburg, Germany, harbor on February 9, 2010, AIDA Cruises’s newest addition to the fleet, AIDAblu sailed right past the Caterpillar Marine Power Systems headquarters on the historic Elbe River. The AIDAblu represents the fourth ship in a series of seven AIDA club ships powered by MaK engines. The 827-ft Sphinx-class series cruise ship has a passenger capacity of 2,192 over 14 decks. These 4x MaK 9 M 43 C engines in a diesel-electric configuration will provide 36,000 kW (48,960 bhp) for both main propulsion and electric power to the main switchboard.

Having emerged in recent years among Europe's top echelon of builders of RoRo vessels, Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has put down a new marker for the industry by anticipating demand for a future generation of RoRo ferries incorporating a capacity for 6,000 lane-m of freight. Closely following its formalization of an order from North Sea and Baltic RoRo specialist DFDS for a fifth newbuild capable of loading 4,000 lane-m of road trailers, rolltrailers, cassettes, and other cargo, the German shipyard has unveiled its proposal for a 6,000 lane-m carrier. The Flensburger offering, which has already attracted the interest of operators looking to achieve further scale economies on high-volume routes…

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems will propel a series of 49,000 dwt tankers, built and operated in the US according to domestic Jones Act regulations. Propulsion will be diesel-electric using three MaK 12 M 32 C generating sets equipped with Siemens alternators. Each set will weigh about 120 tons and provide 5760 kWe at 720 rpm. The tankers have been ordered by AHL Shipping Company, San Antonio, Texas, following a charter agreement with Shell Trading (US) Company, Houston, Texas, to transport crude oil, chemicals and products within domestic US trade lanes from 2009/2010. Approximate vessel dimensions: length 188 metres, breadth 32 metres, draft 11 metres, cargo capacity 330,000 barrels.

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has developed a future generation of RoRo ferries incorporating a capacity for 6,000 lane-m of freight. FSG delivered the 722-ft. (220-m) Hurst Point, the first of four 23,300-gt RoRo sisters contracted by British consortium AWSR for strategic sealift duties under a transport service agreement with the U.K. Ministry of Defense. The 2,600 lane-m heavily-reinforced design incorporates three decks, with the addition of a 36-ton crane on the weatherdeck, and further demonstrates the German yard's propensity for meeting bespoke RoRo requirements within the bounds of efficient production practices.