MAN Diesel & Turbo has secured a contract for the supply of four 9L48/60CR engines for the diesel-mechanical propulsion of two passenger ferries for Chinese shipping companies, Huadong Ferry and Dadong Ferry. The two newbuildings are currently under construction at Huanghai Shipyard in Shangdong, China. Both vessels have a passenger capacity of 1,500 and are intended to connect South Korea with the Chinese mainland upon entering service.
MAN Diesel & Turbo will deliver the complete propulsion package for the ferries with each vessel receiving 2 × 9L48/60CR engines – providing a combined output of 21,600 kW, two Renk gear systems and two five-bladed, five-metre-diameter MAN Alpha CP propellers. The propulsion control system is MAN’s Alphatronic 3000. This combination of technology boosts the drive system’s efficiency, saving both fuel and costs as well as reducing emissions, while the five-bladed propeller designs ensure low levels of pressure pulses and noise.
“We are pleased that our MAN propulsion packages will contribute to a safe and eco-friendly ferry service in the region of East Asia”, said Henning Bullwinkel, Sales Manager Cruise and Ferry at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Business Unit Marine Medium Speed. The engines will be among the first MAN common-rail engines delivered to China. “This proves that MAN ‘Made in Germany’ products continue to be held in high esteem in China, and that modern technology with electronic injection systems are increasingly gaining ground, including among Chinese owners”, said Sokrates Tolgos, Head of Sales, Cruise & Ferry at MAN Diesel & Turbo.
The China Shipowners’ Association has proposed limiting the maximum age of a vessel in service to 28 years. The two ferry newbuildings will enter service in autumn 2016, replacing vessels about to reach the new, proposed age limit. In the near future, more and more ships are similarly expected to be decommissioned. “We therefore see significant potential in the East Asian market and are optimistic regarding future opportunities to equip further, such newbuildings”, added Tolgos.
