Car ferry test for MTU gas engine
The ferry is to be equipped with twin 8-cylinder engines each delivering 746 kW. It will be the first inland waterway passenger vessel in Europe to be propelled by high-speed gas engines. A cooperation agreement was signed on Friday covering a two-year trial of the propulsion system, under continuous service conditions, with both partners collating data.
Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “This flagship project allows us to demonstrate the effectiveness of our new technology and set an international trend right on our doorstep. We firmly believe that in shipping, gas engines are set to play a pivotal role as a back-up to well-proven diesel engine technology.”
Norbert Reuter, head of the City of Constance public utility, added: “With this new ferry we are making our service even more ecologically sound. We are assuming a pioneering role, since no passenger vessel on the inland waterways of Europe has yet achieved the certification we are striving for.”
Gas operation enables the ferry to reduce soot and SOx, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% and reduce NOx pollution by 90%, meeting the IMO’s Tier III NOx requirements. MTU said the new gas engines are equivalent to diesel engines in performance and dynamics.
The engine prototype, a 16-cylinder Series 4000 unit, has now successfully completed over 4,000 operating hours on the test stand. As reported, the first pre-series 4000 units for marine propulsion are scheduled for delivery at the end of 2017.
