MHI books first order for new low speed diesel

MAY 27, 2014 — Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME) reports that licensee Kobe Diesel has received the first order for the new MHI-MME  UEC50LSH-Eco low-speed marine diesel engine.

The advanced low-fuel-consumption engine will ensure high efficiency even during slow steaming, and will be installed on a 35,000 dwt chemical tanker being built by shipbuilder Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co., Ltd. The first UEC50LSH-Eco engine and the chemical tanker are slated for completion in March and October of 2015, respectively.

The UEC50LSH-Eco is the first in a new series of MHI-MME low-speed marine diesel engines  being developed in response to market demand for engines that offer lower fuel consumption with optimized performance at lower engine speed for slow-steaming, as well as heightened compliance with emission standards.

MHI-MME says that based on thorough market research, the new engines will hold significant advantages in fuel efficiency achieving power output and engine speed optimized for bulk carriers as well as medium size crude oil tankers, chemical tankers, and other similar vessels. In addition, the new series will maximize fuel consumption savings by enabling vessel operators to benefit from the enhanced propulsion efficiency of long-stroke, low-speed engine operation.