Strategic Marine selects MTU gas engines from Rolls-Royce for new Doeksen catamarans

• Contract for 4 MTU gas engines for 2 ferries signed at SMM
• Strategic Marine to build 70-metre aluminium catamarans
• Doeksen shipping company to put first gas-powered ferries into service on Dutch Wadden Sea from 2018

At SMM International Maritime Trade Fair in Hamburg, representatives of the Singaporean shipyard Strategic Marine and Rolls-Royce signed a contract on 7 September for the delivery of four MTU gas engines for two new 70-metre long catamarans for the Dutch shipping company Doeksen. The brand MTU is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

Knut Müller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU, said at the signing of the contract: “We would like to express our thanks to our long-standing partners Strategic Marine and Doeksen for the trust they have placed in our new technologies and are delighted that the MTU gas engine has been so well received by the market.” In addition to the Dutch ferries, MTU gas engines will be used to power a new harbour tug being built by Damen for the shipping company Svitzer and a new ferry on Lake Constance operated by the local utility, Stadtwerke Konstanz.

The two aluminium catamarans are to operate ferry services by Doeksen for as many as 66 vehicles and 599 passengers between the Dutch mainland and the islands of Terschelling and Vlieland, from 2018. The fleet currently consists of seven ferries. The Wadden Sea was declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2009 because of its unique geological and ecological value. Stretching 500 km along the North Sea coast of Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, it is the largest unbroken system of inter-tidal sand and mud flats in the world.

Richard de Vries, Head of Operations at Doeksen, said: “Particularly on the sensitive Wadden Sea that has been declared worthy of protection, it is very important for us that ships are operated in an extremely environmentally friendly manner. The MTU engines therefore were the right choice for us, also because of their dynamic acceleration behaviour.”

The RoPax ferries are built by Strategic Marine in Vietnam and designed by BMT Nigel Gee, with the interior design coming from Vripack. The 70-metre long catamarans will each receive two MTU 16-cylinder pre-production Series 4000 gas engines, each delivering around 1,500 kW, as the main propulsion system. The IMO Tier III compliant engines will deliver power to azimuth fixed pitch propellers, giving the ferries an operational speed of 14 knots.

Mark Newbold, chairman of Strategic Marine, commented: “This is a milestone project for us. We see an ever increasing focus on the environmental aspects of marine transportation, with LNG emerging as the fuel of choice for many operators and we are committed to being at the forefront of developing LNG and other emission reducing technologies further to the benefit of our customers and the environment. We have been working with MTU now successfully for over 15 years in providing engines for patrol boats, windfarm supply vessels and ferries.”

About MTU

MTU is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of large diesel engines and complete propulsion systems. Our robust and durable engines reliably propel large ships, heavy agricultural and rail vehicles, and industrial applications.