MAN provides engine for Chinese dredger

The MAN 9L48/60CR unit will power the vessel, currently under construction at Dongguan Xiandai Shipbuilding for sister company, Dongguan Rundong Shipping. When built, the dredger will produce sand for the local construction industry.

Lex Nijsen, vice president and head of four-stroke marine at MAN, said: “The local market is very interesting in that it produces sand for the construction industry. Its projects and technical criteria are different to those of the national stage but still demand powerful, highly-reliable engines.”

The four-stroke 9L48/60CR engine is rated at 9,720 kW @ 514 rpm and features MAN’s exhaust-gas turbocharging and two-stage charge-air cooling. It is designed for heavy-duty operation with fuel qualities down to HFO-700 cSt / 50°C. Additionally, a charge-air bypass on the engine is designed to improve operational behaviour at reduced engine speeds. The engine will also feature SaCoSone, MAN’s engine-control system.

MAN reports that more than ten private shipyards, producing primarily dredgers and barges, are located in the Shenzhen and Dongguan areas of Guangdong province. As a result, Nijsen expects the demand for big-bore engines to increase significantly in the short term.