New Engines News

Louisiana-based Cheramie Marine's offshore support vessel (OSV) Mary Cheramie has been refitted with a pair of new Mitsubishi engines, power solutions provider Laborde Products announced.The vessel's two new Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R engines, each delivering 1,260 HP at 1,600 RPM, replace the older Caterpillar 3512 engines.According to Laborde Products, the new engines' fully mechanical design simplifies maintenance and operation while enhancing reliability and reducing emissions.

Shipowners in all sectors face the same decision: build new or refurbish older tonnage. In the booming cruise sector the decision is more pressing, particularly as new construction ships can take two to three years to build, perhaps longer today with global shipyard orderbooks packed full.When the decision was taken to upgrade the nearly 40-year-old MS Amera, trust for the project landed with BSM Cruise, the technical ship manager of MS Amera, and Wabtec channel partner VMS Group…

MAN PrimeServ – the after-sales brand of MAN Energy Solutions – will offer a retrofit package for the conversion of existing conventional MAN four-stroke engines to dual-fuel methanol operation starting in 2025. Customers will initially be able to convert existing MAN 48/60 engines to the latest MAN 51/60DF engine type with methanol capability.According to MAN Energy Solutions, the conversion package has been under development for some time and has been tested at its Augsburg, Germany plant since summer 2024.

Laborde Products announced the completion of a repower project for the towboat Ned Merrick, owned by Canal Barge Company. The project featured the replacement of the vessel's previous engines with two Tier 3 S16R engines from Mitsubishi, each delivering 1,675HP at 1,600RPM.The 145-foot-long twin screw retractable towboat was previously powered by two EMD 567 engines. It was built by Southern Shipbuilding Corp., Slidell, La., in 1961.David Lane, Senior VP with Canal Barge Company…

Somerset, Mass. shipyard Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation, announced it has delivered the first of the Boston Pilots’ two Chesapeake-class pilot boats undergoing a comprehensive refit.“The vessels are well used and well maintained. Only minor structural repairs were necessary so definitely worthy of refitting,” said Peter Duclos, the shipyard’s co-president.Along with installing new shafts and Brunton propellers, the 53’ all-aluminum pilot boat’s twin 600 hp Lugger L6140AL2 engines were replaced with a pair of Volvo Penta D-16 diesel engines…

Technology group Wärtsilä said it plans to introduce another four methanol engines to its portfolio. In addition to the Wärtsilä 32 methanol engine launched last year, Wärtsilä will add the Wärtsilä 20, Wärtsilä 31, Wärtsilä 46F and Wärtsilä 46TS, available for deliveries at different points from 2025 onward.Methanol is one of the primary alternative fuel choices for the shipping industry to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. 'Green' methanol can be produced using renewable energy sources and carbon capture technology, making it a sustainable and carbon-neutral option.

Swiss marine power company WinGD has signed a memorandum of understanding with KSS Line to explore X-DF-A engines for future newbuild projects. The companies will focus on 52cm- and 62cm-bore versions of the dual-fuel ammonia engines, suitable for midsize and very large gas carriers (VLGC). The scope of the cooperation will extend beyond engine technology, also focusing on the performance and maintenance solutions necessary for using alternative fuel. The partners will also explore…

Maersk's first-of-its-kind methanol dual-fuel containership made history on July 16 when it became the first to bunker methanol.The newly built vessel bunkered 1,000 metric tonnes of the cleaner burning fuel at Odfjell Terminals Korea in Ulsan  before embarking on its 21,500-kilometer maiden voyage toward Copenhagen, where she will be officially named in September.“This journey is an important step in our efforts to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, as it will allow…

A well-built, modern vessel can be expected to outlive her original engines. The challenge for those representing the owners, is to choose new engines that match or exceed the capabilities of the original power. Consideration will be given to replicas of the original engines. However, availability and suitability may limit this.These were some of the considerations confronting the Thai Marine Department when they decided to put their 41.85 by 3.9-meter oil response vessel back into service.

The Tampa Bay pilot association has returned its first Chesapeake Class pilot boat to Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding. Tampa was built in 2003 when the shipyard introduced the class of mid-size, high-speed launches. In 2015, the Tampa pilots took delivery of the shipyard’s first Chesapeake Class MKII, which incorporates the performance benefits of Volvo Penta’s IPS 2 pod system. With more than 50,000 operating hours, the 53’ all-aluminum pilot boat will be repowered and undergo repairs after a thorough inspection by the shipyard’s quality control department.

The latest generation of mtu Series 4000 commercial marine engines for tugs, ferries and workboats will boast significantly extended engine running times of up to 96,000 hours between overhauls (TBO), according to manufacturer Rolls-Royce.In general, all marine engines of the latest generation of mtu Series 4000 can now run for up to 25 years before they need a major overhaul, depending on the duration and intensity of use, Rolls-Royce said. That is seven years more between overhauls than previously recommended.The new TBO intervals and maintenance schedules…

In continuously developing the range of services for its portfolio of four-stroke engines, MAN Energy Solutions enables its customers to exploit a multitude of synthetically manufactured, climate-neutral fuels in the operation of ships or power plants. Already today, MAN engines using power-to-X fuels such as synthetic natural gas (SNG) can be operated totally climate-neutrally.MAN customers will in due course be able to use other, so-called 'future fuels' –such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen – also produced in a climate-neutral manner.

The U.S.’ first linehaul towing vessel powered by Tier 4 Caterpillar high-speed engines with selective catalytic reduction( SCR) was built by Blakeley BoatWorks (BBW) and is now operated by Cooper Marine and Timberlands (CMT).In March 2021, Blakeley BoatWorks completed construction of M/V Gretchen V. Cooper, a state-of-the-art, Tier-4 inland linehaul tow boat. This 3,400-horsepower vessel is 110-feet long, 33-feet wide, and expands CMT’s fleet to 20 vessels.Currently, Tier-4 diesel engine standards are the strictest U.S.

Engines manufacturer Fairbanks Morse said it has been awarded a six-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The agreement, worth approximately $53 million, enables Fairbanks Morse to maximize and improve engine lifecycle support for the USCG’s 270-foot WMEC Famous Class Cutters.As part of the USCG 270-foot WMEC Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), Fairbanks Morse was awarded this contract to provide services, personnel, facilities…

“We got 59,115 hours on those engines, without ever removing a head,” says Seaspan International’s Port Engineer Kevin Tweedy, “And they were still running. So, at 5,000 to 5,500 hours per year, we could easily have done 60,000 hours.”But the company schedule worked to do a like-for-like repower. The pair of 850-horsepower Tier 1 Cummins KTA38 diesels were pulled out, and a brand-new set of 850-horsepower Tier 2 KTA38s went in.The Seaspan Cavalier was built in 1974, along with three sister ships.

Built by Dakota Creek Industries in Anacortes, Wash., the first of the U.S. Navy's new fleet of six YT 808-class tugs was delivered in October after completing the last construction phase. Measuring 90 feet long and 38 feet 3 inches wide, the YT 808 vessel is powered by twin Cat 3512E marine engines, each rated at 1,810 horsepower. The engines drive two Schottel SRP 340 fixed-pitch z-drive thrusters providing a top speed of 12.5 knots and an expected bollard pull of 40 metric tons.The new series of Robert Allan Ltd.-designed tugs are the Navy's first vessels built to meet the U.S.

Since the days of wooden hulls and human power, lifeboat crews have put to sea through dangerous surf to save the lives of their fellow seamen. The first engine powered boats allowed decks and cabins that afforded a greater level of safety. When the U.S. Coast Guard developed its 47-foot surf boat in the late 1990s, a whole new standard for lifeboats was set.Designated 47-foot MLB, these all-aluminum craft demonstrated spectacular performance. Capable of handling 60-knots winds…

Resolute, one of two high-speed passenger catamarans delivered by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding, Duclos Corporation to Bermuda's Ministry on Transport in 2002, has returned to the shipyard for a complete refit. The project’s completion is scheduled for May 2021.Designed by Incat Design (currently Incat Crowther), the all-aluminum 250-passenger vessel measures 84 feet long, 30 feet abeam and draws 5.3 feet.Among myriad items to remove, repair or replace is replacing the vessel’s Detroit Diesel engines with new engine controls and monitoring systems to operate twin MTU 10V2000M72 diesel engines…

A Corpus Christi crew boat runs with renewed power and graceMiss Vivian has a commanding presence while plying the waters off the Texas Gulf Coast.Hardworking crew boat Miss Vivian serves offshore oil platforms and large ships moored in Corpus Christi Harbor. Owned by Sea Level Marine, Inc., in Aransas Pass, Texas, the 28-meter (91-foot) welded aluminum vessel is U.S. Coast Guard-approved for 50 passengers, and its 15x5-meter (50x15-foot) deck offers ample space to transport food provisions, equipment, and other supplies to offshore locations.There’s a rather heroic side to Miss Vivian, too.

Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet said it is currently working with Norway-based Offshore Windservice AS to convert five vessels from controllable pitch propeller (CPP) to waterjet propulsion and advanced control technology.At project completion, all five vessels will feature twin HM721 waterjets coupled with HamiltonJet's intuitive AVX controls.While HamiltonJet has already supported more than 80 offshore wind farm vessels globally, the company's CEO, Ben Reed, says…

In a few short months, the mayhem wrought by coronavirus has changed the world. Our response to the epidemic [more than the virus itself] has the potential to permanently alter the balance of the global economy. But it might be the kind of Black Swan event that we need to trigger real change in the shipping industry – and in particular its approach to digitalization of vessel operation.Like the worldview bubbles created by social media algorithms and fake news, the maritime industry is living in its own digitalization fantasyland - one fueled by vendor delusion and media misinformation.

As sometimes happens with boats in the maritime world, the recent repower of a tug shone a light on a pair of well known independent companies. The tug Gretchen H. (ex Harry Olsen, Polar Breeze) was built by Rodriguez Shipbuilding of Coden Alabama in 1997 and is currently owned, since 2005, by Boyer Towing.The Gretchen H is a good solid boat and her owners decided she was well worth a new set of engines. At 80 by 30 feet she has an eleven foot depth. As with many tugs out of the Rodriguez yard she has triple propellers and triple engines. She had an older set of engines rated at 700 HP each.

When it comes to the EPA’s recent proposed delay to implementation of Tier 4 marine diesel engines ‘in certain high-speed commercial vessels,’ where you stand probably depends on where you sit.On September 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection agency (EPA) proposed to delay implementation of Tier 4 marine diesel engines “in certain high-speed commercial vessels.” Specifically; EPA mentions three kinds of vessels: lobster boats, pilot boats and a third, more open-ended reference to “other high-speed vessels,” possibly including hovercraft.