MAN engines selected for Australian antarctic ship

A 12-cylinder version of the MAN 32/44CR engine

NOVEMBER 21, 2016 — MAN Diesel & Turbo has been selected to supply the main engines to a new, icebreaking, supply-and-research vessel for the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD).

The two 16V32/44CR main engines – each producing 9,600 kW – were chosen for their highly reliable and fuel-efficient design that will serve in an environment with a demanding operational profile, including temperatures down to -30 degrees and extended mission times.

The icebreaker, designed by Danish naval architect firm, Knud E. Hansen, is being procured by Serco Defence through DMS Maritime (prime contractor) and will be designed and =DMS Maritime’s subcontractor Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding at Damen’s Galati, Romania, shipyard.

Handover to AAD is scheduled for April 2020. The new icebreaker will succeed the old research vessel Aurora Australis and will have greater icebreaking and cargo capacity, increased endurance and operational flexibility, a high standard of environmental performance and state-of-the-art research, rescue and resupply capabilities.

Features onboard will include a moon pool, drop-keel, multi-beam bathymetric and scientific echo sounders, fisheries sonar systems, hydrophones and underwater cameras to support a wide range of scientific research in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

Lex Nijsen – Head of Four-Stroke Marine – MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “We are delighted to be able to add such a prestigious reference to the 32/44CR’s CV. It is an engine that already enjoys popularity in a broad spectrum of market segments, but for it to be employed in such an unspoiled yet extreme, demanding environment with such stringent environmental requirements is testament to its many positive attributes. ” In addition to the engines and their related plant equipment, MAN Diesel & Turbo will also supply its in-house-designed SCR system to ensure the environmentally friendly footprint of this new, state-of-the-art vessel in the pristine Antarctic environment.

The compact and well proven SCR system is available in a wide range of sizes and covers the entire MAN portfolio of medium-speed engines. A special feature of the system is its communication with the engine control system that optimizes the temperature for the SCR system at individual load-points.

The as-yet unnamed vessel will be 156 m in length, with a beam of 25.6 m. She will be able to break ice up 1.65 m thick at speeds of 3 knots and will supply Australia’s permanent research stations in Antarctica and Macquarie Island with cargo, equipment and personnel.

Designed with 500 sq.m of on-board laboratory and office facilities, the vessel will also serve to conduct research activities.

The Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) will host up to 32 crew and as many as 116 AAD scientific personnel – as well as a doctor – in climate-controlled accommodations.