Rolls-Royce to supply MTU gensets for Type 26

Type 26 Global Combat Ship

MAY 11, 2015 — BAE Systems has awarded an equipment contract to Rolls-Royce to manufacture diesel generators for the first three Type 26 anti-submarine warfare ships for the Royal Navy.

This is the first Type 26 manufacturing contract to be agreed since the U.K. Ministry of Defence announced a £472 million contract extension in March 2016 to progress the Type 26 Global Combat Ship program.

Each Type 26 ship will require four of the MTU diesel generators based on 20-cylinder MTU Series 4000 engines, which will provide a low-emission solution for the ships’ electrical supply and slow speed propulsion requirements. Each generator set will deliver approximately 3 MW of generated power, enough to power around 6,000 homes. The generator sets are similar in size to a 20 ft shipping container.

The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The deal means that the core components of the frigate’s combined propulsion system will come from Rolls-Royce: four MTU diesel gensets with 20V 4000 M53B engines, each delivering 3,015 kW of mechanical power, and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine.

Within the Combined Diesel-Electric or Gas Turbine (CODELOG) propulsion system for the Type 26 frigates, the MTU diesel gensets will provide electrical power for on-board electronics and for cruising propulsion. The Rolls-Royce gas turbine will be used for propulsion when traveling at high-speeds.

The MTU gensets are bedded on specialist mounts and surrounded by an acoustic enclosure, ensuring that the propulsion system operates at low noise levels. A similar propulsion system featuring MTU diesel gensets is used aboard the German F-125 class frigates and French FREMM frigates. 

Knut Müller, Head of MTU Governmental Business, said: “The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is the first newly-designed Royal Navy surface vessel to be equipped with MTU engines and the fact that we are involved in such a leading-edge project fills us with great pride.”
 
It is the first time Rolls-Royce has supplied a naval vessel with an MTU propulsion system that meets the requirements of the IMO III emissions directive. To achieve this, each of the four engines on the vessels will be fitted with an exhaust after treatment system, which uses a Selective Catalytic Reduction unit to neutralize nitrogen oxide emissions.

To date, there are 27 companies across the maritime supply chain working with BAE Systems to deliver the Type 26 ships, including seven firms with contracts underway to manufacture key equipment for the first three ships.
 
The UK Government committed to buy eight of the advanced anti-submarine warfare ships in its recent Strategic Defence and Security Review. The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine warfare ship and will in time replace the Type 23 frigates. Globally deployable, it will be capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group.

The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is the Royal Navy’s third major project involving MTU engines. Rolls-Royce is supplying Series 4000 diesel gensets for the refit of the Duke class (Type 23) frigates, while the Astute class submarines already have MTU diesel gensets.