MAN Diesel to Power Catamarans

MAN Diesel announced a contract for eight engines to power two catamarans. The catamarans will be the latest in a series of fast multihull ferries from leading catamaran exponent Incat of Tasmania, Australia. With an overall length of 367 ft. and a beam of 98 ft., the new catamarans are the largest ever built in Australia.

The new contract also involves the first orders received for the 28/33 D diesel since the engine’s transfer from MAN Diesel’s UK facilities to its engine works in Augsburg, Germany. In detail, the contract covers eight of the largest, 20 cylinder versions of MAN Diesel’s four-stroke, 52 degree vee configuration 28/33 D engines, each rated 9,000 kW at 1000 rpm and represents a seamless transition from UKbuilt engines to German-built engines in Incat vessels. In the catamarans two of the 20 cylinder engines are installed in each of the twin aluminum hulls where they drive high capacity reversible water-jets via reduction gears with horizontal offset input and output shafts. The total installed power of 36 MW gives the catamarans a loaded speed of 40 knots, Incat states.