LNG first for Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce is supplying two MTU 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines for what it calls the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid-powered tug.

Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard is building the harbor tug, which will be operated in Singapore by Jurong Marine Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine. The new LNG-hybrid tug is the first of 12 tugs that Sembcorp Marine plans to design and build to replace the existing diesel-powered ones between now and 2025.

Rolls-Royce is supplying two MTU 16V4000 gas engines to Sembcorp Marine for the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid powered tug. In the later part of 2021 the ecofriendly harbor tug will be operation in Singapore.

“We are very happy to be part of Sembcorp Marine’s efforts in environmental protection and adopting new green technologies in their operations,” said ” Chew Xiang Yu, head of Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ commercial marine business in Asia. “The MTU marine gas engines are part of Rolls-Royce’s Green and High-Tech program. Without exhaust gas aftertreatment, they emit no sulfur oxides only very small quantities of nitrogen oxide, and particulate mass is below the verification limit.”

This is the first LNG-hybrid tug to be powered by MTU gas engines. Designed by LMG Marin (Norway), part of the Sembcorp Marine group, to deliver 65T Bollard Pull (BP) with ABS Class, the LNG-hybrid tug is estimated to be completed in the later part of 2021. The main propulsion system of the tug comprises twin 16-cylinder MTU Series 4000 gas units which will provide a combined total power of 2984 kW at 1600 RPM. Equipped with multipoint fuel injection, dynamic engine control and enhanced turbocharging, the engines cater for dynamic acceleration capabilities, high power output and reduced emissions considerably below the current IMO 3 limits without the need for exhaust aftertreatment. The LNG-hybrid propulsion system will be able to provide flexibility to cater for various operational modes and is able to switch between low emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines and zero-emission battery power, the company said.

The new MTU gas engines are already powering ferries operated by the Dutch shipping company Doeksen in the specially protected Wadden Sea. A Lake Constance ferry operated by Stadtwerke Konstanz will also start operating in 2021 with the new MTU gas engines.