Maritime Propulsion News

GE Aerospace's Marine Engines & Systems has received orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for the U.S. Navy's next two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers: the future USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). Each destroyer is powered by four LM2500 engines, providing the proven propulsion power that has made the Arleigh Burke class the backbone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet for over three decades.As of January 2025, 74 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are active with GE Aerospace’s LM2500 engines being the prime mover for propulsion.

Thordon Bearings, a leader in high-performance polymer bearing systems, has steadily carved out a niche in the global marine industry with its eco-friendly water-lubricated bearings. Unlike traditional oil or grease-based bearings, Thordon’s systems operate entirely on water, eliminating the risk of harmful pollution in marine environments. Over the years, the company has expanded its reach, offering substantial advantages to the commercial shipping, naval, and workboat markets…

Kongsberg Maritime, a global provider of advanced technology solutions for the maritime industry, has been awarded a contract to upgrade the waterjet propulsion systems on 13 vessels operated by the Kuwait Coast Guard, in partnership with EDGE Group entity Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB).Under the agreement, ADSB will install Kongsberg Kamewa waterjets across the fleet, replacing existing third-party systems on ten vessels and retrofitting three others. The project includes the delivery of 13 shipsets of S63-4 waterjets…

Fairbanks Morse Defense Awarded Contract for FM 175D Engine to Support U.S. Navy’s DDG(X) ProgramFairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), won a contract to provide the U.S. Navy with an FM 175D high-speed diesel generator engine for integration into the DDG(X) land-based propulsion system test site, supporting the U.S. Navy’s goal of reducing design risks as it continues developing the next-generation platform.Designed to succeed the Flight II Ticonderoga-class cruisers and the Flight I/II Arleigh Burke-class destroyers…

The Executive Board of Everllence has appointed Stefan Eefting as its new Head of Americas. Eefting commences his position from July 1st, succeeding Mahesh Joshi who is leaving the company for a well-deserved retirement. Originally educated as a marine engineer in Bremerhaven, German native Eefting is an Everllence veteran who has worked in a variety of management positions over three decades with the company, most recently as long-serving Senior Vice President and Head of PrimeServ Germany.Dr Uwe Lauber…

Siemens Energy has had its hands on a number of groundbreaking ship design and construction projects globally, projects that highlight the possibilities and the challenges inherent in being a technology pioneer. Ed Schwarz, Head of Marine Solutions Sales for Siemens Energy in the US and Canada, give an insider’s view of some practical steps to take if electrification is on an organization’s fleet expansion agenda.Energy transition is everywhere you turn in maritime today, and electric solutions are an important and growing part of the mix…

Finnøy Gear & Propeller has signed a contract to deliver complete propulsion systems for a new series of eight cargo vessels being built for the Norwegian shipping company Wilson ASA. The vessels will be constructed at Udupi Cochin Shipyard Ltd. in India and are based on a design from the Dutch company Conoship International. The project marks an important collaboration between Norwegian maritime technology, European ship design, and Asian shipbuilding resources.Finnøy's delivery includes a "twin in – single out" 2G42-60F gearbox system…

Schottel will equip a new RoRo cargo vessel for U.S.-based United Launch Alliance (ULA) being built by Bollinger Shipyards in Amelia, Louisiana. The vessel, to be named SpaceShip, will transport Vulcan rockets from the factory in Decatur, Alabama, to the launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It will be equipped with three Schottel RudderPropellers SRP 460 LE and two Schottel TransverseThrusters STT 1. SpaceShip’s tailored electric system will be designed and supplied by elkon, a member of the Schottel Group.

Wärtsilä will supply the electric propulsion system for three fully battery-electric, high-speed ferries that will operate in the San Francisco Bay area, the first full-electric high-speed ferries to operate and be built in the USA. The order with Wärtsilä has been placed by the shipyard All American Marine (AAM), on behalf of San Francisco Bay Ferry, California’s largest public ferry operator. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q1 2025.The three zero-emission vessels will be the first delivered as a part of San Francisco Bay Ferry’s Rapid Electric Emission Free (REEF) Ferry Program…

Confusion over new fuels will not be helped by the fact that each one has a good and bad version. The science on grey ammonia, grey methanol, and palm oil biofuel show that these are probably worse for the planet, if adopted, than unfettered continuation of fossil fuel consumption. Conversely, green methanol, green ammonia and biofuel made using genuine wastes and residual products could create a substantial dent in production and consumption of fossil fuels. For this reason, clarity on which fuels shipping lines intend eventually to use is vital.Höegh Autoliners is set on ammonia…

MAN Energy Solutions will deliver the world's most powerful two-stroke methanol engine in June 2025. The engine, an MAN B&W 12G95ME-C10.5-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) type rated at 82,440 kW @ 80rpm, is currently being built by Chinese licensee, CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd. (CMD).The engine is the first of 12 bound for a series of 12 × 24,000 teu container vessels currently under construction: seven at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) for shipowner, Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL); and five at Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd.

If the dynamic positioning (DP) system went down on an offshore supply vessel, it could result in a collision. On a dive support vessel, it could result in injury or death for a diver. On a drilling rig, it could result in a blowout with loss of life, pollution and fire.Built-in redundancy is key to avoiding failures, and this in turn determines the thruster, electrical and engine configurations that are designed to enable DP systems.“There is no single, universal solution,” says Lauri Tiainen, Director Thrusters and Propulsion Control Systems, Wärtsilä Marine.

Cummins received Approval in Principle (AIP) from DNV for its methanol-ready QSK60 IMO II and IMO III engines, available in power ratings from 2000 to 2700 hp (1491 - 2013 kW). The approval validates Cummins' retrofittable methanol dual-fuel solution for the global marine market.Cummins plans to launch the retrofit kits post-2028 to align with market demand and infrastructure readiness. Designed for diesel-electric systems, these kits can be integrated with battery technology…

ProZero International, a workboat supplier in the Danish Tuco Marine Group, has been appointed as the exclusive distributor of the innovative American “Swamp Shark Drives propulsion systems” across Europe, West Africa, Kenya, and additional regions. This partnership brings a revolutionary solution to the maritime industry, particularly for operators in challenging environments such as mangrove areas, shallow waters, and debris-filled rivers.The Swamp Shark Drive is an advanced surface drive system engineered for seemless performance in demanding conditions.

In the ever-evolving quest for cleaner, more efficient energy sources in maritime vessel operations, nuclear power has re-emerged as a topic of serious discussion, as shipowners eye the International Maritime Organization push to ‘net zero’ on or around 2050. Admittedly, there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution for the entirety of maritime premised on the wide variety of routes and ship types, but nuclear holds promise in several large-ship, oceangoing sectors. Phil Lewis, Director of Research at Intelatus…

Wärtsilä signed a Lifecycle Agreement with CMA Ships, a leading French shipping company and CMA CGM subsidiary. The agreement covers 14 large LNG-fuelled container ships already in operation. The order with Wärtsilä was booked in Q1 2025.The scope of the agreement with CMA Ships will ensure operational reliability while providing maintenance planning flexibility and long-term cost predictability. “The management of new fuels such as LNG can be complex and costly. This agreement with Wärtsilä will help us secure ship operations and optimize engine maintenance costs.

Schottel was selected to supply full propulsion packages for three new LNG bunkering vessels (LNGBV), each consisting of a controllable pitch propeller, a retractable rudder propeller, and a transverse thruster. The ships, with a loading capacity of 20,000 cbm, are currently under construction at the Chinese shipyard Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co. Ltd. and are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027. Two vessels have been ordered by UK-based LNG bunkering provider Avenir LNG Ltd and one by Singaporean Vitol International Shipping Ltd.

Timo Vesala, Account Manager, Americas, at ABB Marine & Ports, is responsible for newbuild sales in the Americas market. Since joining ABB in 2018, he has gathered extensive experience in the marine industry with a focus on electrification and propulsion systems. He holds a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Aalto University, Finland, and has a passion for clean technology and maritime decarbonization. This month, in our annual Power & Propulsion edition, he weighs…

The maritime industry’s elusive quest to achieve so-called ‘zero’ emissions continues. Where it ends is not a one-size-fits-all discussion.The year-end maritime industry discussions tend to move away from global influence and back drift to national and domestic debates. As this happens, a positioning of a relatively small group of American owners and operators prepare for the upcoming business year and markets. The propulsion debate continues to be future fuels based upon sustainability and climate change.

In a ceremony in Rauma, Finland, Damen Shipyards Group and Kongsberg Maritime have celebrated the delivery of the 1500th Kongsberg azimuth thruster to Damen, in a relationship spanning more than 40 years.This latest delivery continues the supply of azimuth thrusters for Damen’s wide range of tug designs, operating for its customers in ports across the world. Thruster number 1500 is one of a pair which will be installed on a Damen ASD Tug 2813, currently under construction at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam.Speaking at the event…

Alternative fuels are not top of the list of naval requirements for gensets, but they are inching their way up.The naval world is largely exempt from the decarbonization pressure faced by commercial shipping, but it can’t ignore it entirely. As a famed naval strategist once said: “Fuel stands first in importance of the resources necessary to a fleet.”Navies must therefore consider their fuel supply options carefully given that commercial shipping is currently rewriting supply and demand dynamics.Indeed…

Shipowners in all sectors face the same decision: build new or refurbish older tonnage. In the booming cruise sector the decision is more pressing, particularly as new construction ships can take two to three years to build, perhaps longer today with global shipyard orderbooks packed full.When the decision was taken to upgrade the nearly 40-year-old MS Amera, trust for the project landed with BSM Cruise, the technical ship manager of MS Amera, and Wabtec channel partner VMS Group…

Brunvoll signed a contract with Tersan Shipyard for the delivery of propulsion and maneuvering systems for two 150-m, 16,500-dwt stainless steel chemical product tankers to be owned Tune Chemical Tankers (TCT), which also is a part of Tersan Group.The vessels are designed by Norden Ship Design House, based in Istanbul, Turkey, and the contract includes an option for two more vessels.Brunvoll’s delivery for the vessels consists of a complete shaft line solution with a reduction gearbox and a controllable pitch propeller…