GE Marine Engines To Outfit Queen Mary 2 With Gas Turbine Power

August 21, 2001

GE Marine Engines announced that its LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbine has been selected for use aboard Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 transatlantic liner. Upon completion in 2003, this will be the world's largest passenger vessel.

"We faced strong competition for the Cunard order, but the LM2500+ prevailed with its unmatched experience in various marine applications," said Karl Matson, general manager of GE Marine Engines. "We are very excited to be an integral part of this important program," Matson added.

The liner will use two GE LM2500+ gas turbine generator sets in a Combined Diesel and Gas Turbine (CODAG) configuration with four diesel engines. Top speed is expected to reach 30 knots.

The 150,000-gt Queen Mary 2 will be the first vessel to be propelled by four podded propellers extending beneath the hull. The two forward pods are fixed and the two aft pods are steerable.

Tests conducted using a model of this steering system showed the liner will be capable of performing maneuvers in compliance with standards for similar vessels using different propulsion and steering systems. Two sets of stabilizers likewise performed as expected, smoothing the model's motion to create an enviable standard of comfort on board.

The 1,132 x 135-ft. (345 x 41.1 m) liner, which will be built at Chantiers de l' Atlantique, will be as tall as a 23-story building. Noted as the most costly passenger ship ever built, with a total estimated cost of $780 million, the vessel will carry 2,620 guests and 1,254 crew.

In comparison, Cunard's Queen Mary measures a mere 81,000 gt when it set sail in 1936, with accommodations for 776 cabin class, 784 tourist class and 579 third class passengers.

The LM2500+ gas turbines will be manufactured at GE Marine Engines' Evendale, Ohio facility. The LM2500+ gas turbine-generator sets were sold and will be packaged by GE Aero Energy Products, Houston, Texas. GE Aero Energy Products is a GE Power Systems business and a GE Marine Engines Marine Systems Supplier.