Solvang order marks milestone for Kongsberg engine control

The system, the sixth iteration of AutoChief 600, will be used with a MAN Diesel & Turbo two-stroke main engine. Key additions to the current generation include touch screen operation to access all functions and data as well as a ‘GoGreen’ module, which allows for optimisation of engine efficiency and environmental footprint.

Tor Øyvind Ask, fleet director, Solvang, said: “We build, own and manage our fleet with an investment horizon of 20-25 years, so having reliable technology on board is important. With AutoChief, we know we get a good and reliable system that will operate for a whole of a vessel’s lifetime, which is also backed-up by an organisation capable of providing full lifetime support.”

The system to be installed recently passed its factory acceptance test (FAT) with engine builder Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engines and Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) in Busan. The test was the ten thousandth FAT for the AutoChief system since its debut installation in 1963.

Thomas Hansen, senior manager, head of promotion and customer support, MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “Reaching the ten thousandth system FAT in partnership with Kongsberg and HHI-EMD is a significant milestone for us. AutoChief has retained its ground-breaking nature with every new generation and we are pleased to have been part of these developments for over thirty years.”

Jang-Ho Kim, head of two-stroke engine assembly and test department, HHI-EMD, noted that AutoChief’s performance had given it an ‘overwhelming’ market share as well as enabling further development of two-stroke engines.

“From a technical development standpoint, it helps us to pioneer new markets in merchant ships and marine engines,” he said.

AutoChief 600 is designed to manage all control, safety and alarm functions necessary for operating the main engine and all other accessories for propulsion control from a single station on the bridge. It is based on a modular concept, allowing flexibility in propulsion control system architecture.

According to Kongsberg, around 7,500 ships operate with AutoChief as their primary engine control system.