MTU picked to power two new Abu Dhabi Ports fast ferries
Written by Nick Blenkey
MTU engines were selected for the Abu Dhabi Ports fast ferries based on their robustness and fuel efficiency. [Image: Rolls-Royce]
Two Incat Crowther designed car/passenger ferries being built for Abu Dhabi Ports Group will each be powered by four Rolls-Royce MTU Series 4000 diesels. The order for the engines was placed with Rolls-Royce Power Systems by Singapore-based Penguin Shipyard International Pte Ltd, which will build the RoPax fast ferries at its Batam, Indonesia, shipyard.
Set for delivery in late 2024, the 56-meter long vessels will replace existing ferries on a 42 kilometer route between the UAE mainland and Dalma Island. With the four 16-cylinder MTU Series 4000 engines in each vessel delivering a total output of more than 10,000 kW (about 14,000 hp) of power, the ferries are expected to run at speeds of well above 30 knots, significantly reducing travel time for the up to 250 passengers and 25 cars they will carry on each trip.
Chew Xiang Yu, director marine APAC at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said: “We are very pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with Penguin Shipyard International, an expert in high-speed aluminum vessels, who have once again chosen us as their propulsion supplier. This order also confirms that our propulsion solutions continue to be in high demand in the fast ferry market,”.
Rolls-Royce has been supplying MTU engines to Penguin for more than ten years. As recently as spring 2023, Rolls-Royce Power Systems received an order for six 16-cylinder MTU Series 4000 engines for two new fire fighting and rescue vessels being built by Penguin for the marine division of the Singapore Civil Defense Force.
James Tham, Penguin International Limited’s managing director, said: “Over the past decade, we have come to appreciate Rolls-Royce and their mtu solutions as our go-to partners in the powering of mission-critical high-speed vessels. Rolls-Royce is a dependable partner in good times and bad. They provide excellent customer experience for each project.”
MTU engines were selected for the Abu Dhabi Ports fast ferries based on their robustness and fuel efficiency. The Series 4000 engines are capable of operating continuously at high power, without power loss, in elevated ambient temperatures.
“We know what ferry operators need and are constantly working to further develop our range of solutions,” said Denise Kurtulus, vice president global marine at Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “Our engines have a high power density, are particularly reliable and are efficient with low fuel consumption and low life cycle costs – which is exactly why operators of fast ferries, double-ended ferries and catamarans choose MTU propulsion systems.”
The MTU Series 4000 engines, along with MTU exhaust aftertreatment systems, are certified for EPA Tier 4 and IMO III emissions regulations and are now also approved for sustainable fuels such as HVO.
