Rolls-Royce Launches Fuel-Saving Gas and Diesel Engine Line

The engines promise 20% more power production per cylinder

Rolls-Royce says it has launched a new family of medium-speed marine engines, including some powered by gas.

The engines reduce fuel consumption, increase power production per cylinder by 20 percent, and reduce emissions and operating costs compared with the company's existing Bergen range engines.

The first engine in the series, the diesel-powered B33:45, was officially launched at the SMM exhibition in Hamburg this week.

"Ship owners want better performance at a lower price and society wants cleaner oceans," said Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce Marine president.

"This new family of engines will deliver what our customers need in terms of cost and the environment, and so I'm delighted to be able to launch the first engine in what will be an extensive range, suited to a wide variety of ships."

Makinen said the company has developed the engine over the past three years.

"Our overall design goal was to develop an engine that offers our customers reduced life cycle costs," said Thor Humerfelt, Rolls-Royce's programme director for Bergen Engines.

"Engines are one of the large contributors to a ship's operating and maintenance costs, so we believe that the features of this family of engines will prove popular as we expand the range."

The B33:45 uses a modular design, with an engine platform of 6, 7, 8, or 9 cylinders and a power range of 3,600 kilowatts to 5,400 kilowatts.

The engines are targeted at various offshore vessels, ferries, cruise ships, cargo carriers, and fishing vessels.

The first B33:45 engine will be part of a Rolls-Royce designed fishing vessel scheduled to be delivered to Norway's Prestfjord Havfiske AS next June.

Oskar Levandar, a Rolls-Royce vice president, recently said the emergence of new types of fuel is complicating decisions for ship owners.