Rolls-Royce to supply MTU gas engines to RederijDoeksen catamarans
Rolls-Royce and Strategic Marine shipyard have struck a contract at SMM Hamburg for the delivery of four MTU gas engines for Dutch operator RederijDoeksen’s two new pure LNG-fuelled catamarans.
The 70m long catamarans will each receive two MTU 16-cylinder pre-production Series 4000 gas engines, each delivering around 1,500 kW, as the main propulsion system. The IMO Tier III compliant engines will deliver power to azimuth fixed pitch propellers, giving the ferries an operational speed of 14 knots.
RederijDoeksen head of operations Richard de Vries told the SMM press conference: “Besides our aim to have a sustainable, innovative ferry, our guests depend on year-round reliable operations, and in our selection for a propulsion system, reliability was one of the primary requirements. We think that we can meet all these requirements with our catamarans.”
He explained that Rederij was keen for MTU to provide gas engines as the ferry operator was impressed by the “excellent performance” of MTU engines used in their Tiger fast ferry. “We frequently insisted that MTU come up with a gas engine for the project, but unfortunately at the time we started the investigation for this project their planning for gas engines was not at the same stage as our planning,” explained Mr de Vries.
But when Rederij was in the final tender process for the ships with just two yards left, MTU announced they had proceeded with the gas engine – so Rederij decided to proceed with the engines having been impressed by the “enthusiasm of the R&D people working on the engines and also their approach, and what the engine can do for us”.
Strategic Marine chairman Mark Newbold said it was “quite a collaborative design process” between the yard, Rederij, designer BMT Nigel Lee and interior ship designer Vripack.
It was revealed that the LNG engines will be placed in the tanks, while the LNG will be supplied via truck.
The catamarans are to operate between the Dutch mainland and the islands of Terschelling and Vlieland from 2018. The Wadden Sea was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2009.
