MAN Diesel, AKA mark first joint propulsion success

MAN Diesel will supply four MAN L21/31 gensets for a Russian multi-purpose supply vessel

AUGUST 18, 2017—A multi-purpose supply vessel under construction for a federal Russian agency will have an array of supplied by MAN Diesel & Turbo and hybrid electric propulsion specialist Aspin Kemp Associates (AKA), Prince Edward Island, Canada.

The multi-purpose supply vessel, which will be delivered in March 2018, is the first successful collaboration between the two partners since MAN Diesel & Turbo bought a 40% share in AKA this past June. The order comprises four MAN 7L21/31 gensets, including alternators, with AKA’s scope of supply for the order covering: complete 690V main switchboard, 690V-to-400V transformers, electric motors for main props and thrusters, frequency converters for electric motors, and the drive control and power-management systems.

Wayne Jones, Chief Sales Officer, MAN Diesel & Turbo, says, “This specialist vessel, with its unique operational demands, showcases MAN Diesel & Turbo’s competence as a solution provider and the broader capability we now possess with AKA’s energy-management expertise. Encouragingly for our new partnership, the previous vessel in this series was equipped with an identical propulsion package, but from a different supplier.”

AKA’s CEO, Jason Aspin, says, “We are excited to deliver on this first order together with our new partner, MAN Diesel & Turbo. Our expertise in energy management, and electrical-system integration, combined with MAN’s vast experience in power-train solutions, allows us to deliver a completely integrated power and propulsion system for this vessel, making it a WIN-WIN-WIN between our partnership and this client”.

The partnership with AKA represents part of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s strategic development program, “Basecamp 3000+”, launched in 2016 when the company announced strategic acquisitions and partnerships to expand its product range with respect to the global trends of decarbonization and digitization.