Further orders for large common-rail engines

Sulzer RT-flex96C low-speed diesel engines have been ordered by Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark, for installation in four 3700 TEU L-class container ships being built for the Danish group A.P. M?ller -M?rsk, Safmarine and Deutsche Afrika Linien. The ships are due for delivery in 2004 and 2005.

These are further examples of the most powerful diesel engines so far announced to have electronically-controlled common-rail fuel injection. The first Sulzer RT-flex96C engines were ordered in April 2003. The eight-cylinder engines will each develop 45,760 kW at 102 rev/min and will be built under licence from Wärtsilä Corporation by HSD Engine in Korea.

Developed by Wärtsilä Corporation, Sulzer RT-flex engines are the first low-speed engines to have electronically-controlled common-rail systems for fuel injection and valve actuation. This gives unrivalled flexibility in the way the engines operate, to deliver benefits such as smokeless operation at all operating speeds, lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and lower steady operating speeds for better manoeuvring.

This is the second series of Sulzer RT-flex engines contracted by A.P. M?ller – M?rsk group companies. Three nine-cylinder Sulzer RT-flex60C engines were previously ordered also by Safmarine for 2100 TEU ships contracted at the German shipbuilder Volkswerft Stralsund GmbH.