GE Powers New Italian Frigate

Federico Martinengo, the seventh multipurpose FREMM frigate recently delivered to the Italian Navy by shipyard Fincantieri, like all 10 ships in the new Carlos Bergamini-class FREMM frigate program, features the power dense GE LM2500+G4 gas turbine in a COmbined Diesel eLectric And Gas turbine (CODLAG) propulsion system.

In 2013, Fincantieri delivered the first Italian FREMM, Carlo Bergamini. In addition to the Italian FREMM frigates, DCNS shipyard in Lorient, France, is well underway having delivered six FREMM frigates in a 10-ship program. These sophisticated surface combatants use the same 35.3-megawatt LM2500+G4 gas turbine. Eight of the FREMM frigates are for the French Navy, and single ships have been delivered to the Moroccan and Egyptian Navies.

Fincantieri ship designs using GE LM2500 family of engines are being considered by other international navies including the United States’ new guided missile FFG(X) frigate and Australia’s SEA 5000 frigate. GE has delivered more than 700 marine engines to the U.S. Navy, providing 97 percent of the commissioned propulsion gas turbines for this fleet. The Royal Australian Navy also has extensive experience and an established logistics support program in place for GE LM2500 family of engines.

The GE LM2500 family includes the base LM2500 (25.1 MW), the LM2500+ (30.2 MW) and the LM2500+G4 (35.3 MW). To date, 1,450 GE gas turbines have been delivered on board 646 naval ships serving 35 navies worldwide.

Separately, GE LM2500+G4 marine gas turbines will soon power the Italian Navy’s new Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura (PPA) multipurpose offshore patrol ships. GE’s contract includes an order for seven LM2500+G4 gas turbines. The ship’s flexible and unique hybrid propulsion plant will feature small gearbox mounted-motors for low speed operations, two propulsion diesels for mid-speed service and the LM2500+G4 gas turbine to reach 32+ knots. GE also will be responsible for the electrical system integration of the hybrid system.

The PPA project is an example of the GE Store: the LM2500+G4 gas turbines will be built in Evendale, Ohio; Avio Aero will manufacture the LM2500+G4 turbine control system at its facility in Brindisi, Italy; and GE Power Conversion will manufacture the drives.