Rolls-Royce supplies mtu engines for new fast ferries in Abu Dhabi
Rolls-Royce has received an order from Penguin Shipyard International Pte Ltd to supply eight mtu Series 4000 engines for two new RoPax fast ferries operated by port and ferry operator Abu Dhabi Ports in the United Arab Emirates. The 56-meter roll-on roll-off vessels will replace the existing fleet on the route from the mainland in Abu Dhabi to Delma Island at the end of 2024.
Rolls-Royce hat von der Werft Penguin Shipyard International Pte Ltd. den Auftrag erhalten, acht mtu-Motoren der Baureihe 4000 für zwei neue RoPax-Schnellfähren des Hafen- und Fährenbetreibers Abu Dhabi Ports in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten zu liefern. Die 56-Meter-langen Roll-on-Roll-off-Schiffe werden Ende des Jahres 2024 die bisherige Flotte auf der Strecke vom Festland in Abu Dhabi zur Insel Delma ersetzen.
Rolls-Royce has received an order from Penguin Shipyard International to supply eight mtu Series 4000 engines for two new aluminium RoPax fast ferries.
Penguin Shipyard International is a subsidiary of Singapore-based shipbuilder and shipowner Penguin International Limited. Penguin operates a 30,000-square-metre shipyard in Singapore and a 50,000-square-metre shipyard in Batam, Indonesia, producing aluminium workboats, patrol boats and passenger ferries.
The RoPax ferries are being built at Penguin’s Batam shipyard for the port and ship operator Abu Dhabi Ports Group from the United Arab Emirates.
Designed by Incat Crowther UK for construction by Penguin, the 56-metre-long, roll-on roll-off vessels will enter service in late 2024, replacing existing ferries that are plying between the UAE mainland and Delma Island, located some 42 kilometres offshore.
With the four 16-cylinder mtu Series 4000 engines per vessel delivering together more than 10,000 kilowatts (about 14,000 hp) of power, Rolls-Royce says the aluminium ferries are expected to run at speeds of well above 30 knots, significantly reducing travel time for up to 250 passengers and 25 cars per trip.
“We are very pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Penguin Shipyard International, an expert in high-speed aluminium vessels, who have once again chosen us as their propulsion supplier,” says Chew Xiang Yu, director of marine for APAC at the Rolls-Royce Power Systems business unit. “This order also confirms that our propulsion solutions continue to be in high demand in the fast ferry market.”
Rolls-Royce has been supplying mtu engines to Penguin for more than ten years. The firm says around 850 fast ferries worldwide operate with mtu propulsion systems from Rolls-Royce.
“Over the past decade, we have come to appreciate Rolls-Royce and their mtu solutions as our go-to partners in the powering of mission-critical high-speed vessels,” says James Tham, Penguin International Limited’s managing director. “Rolls-Royce is a dependable partner in good times and bad. They provide excellent customer experience for each project.”
Denise Kurtulus, vice president of global marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, explained: “We know what ferry operators need and are constantly working to develop our range of solutions further. Our engines have a high power density, are particularly reliable and are efficient with low fuel consumption and low life cycle costs — which is exactly why operators of fast ferries, double-ended ferries and catamarans choose mtu propulsion systems.”
The mtu Series 4000 engines, along with mtu exhaust after-treatment systems, are certified for EPA Tier 4 and IMO III emissions regulations and are now also approved for sustainable fuels such as HVO.
Main image courtesy of Mtu/Rolls-Royce.
