More MTU Engines For Red Funnel Ferries

Red Jet 7, the newest fast ferry run by UK operator Red Funnel, will enter service in July after it was commissioned in June. The catamaran was built in the UK by the Wight Shipyard Co. and Rolls-Royce supplied the four MTU 10V 2000 M72 engines. Red Jet 7 is the latest addition to the Red Funnel fleet, all of whose fast ferries are equipped with MTU engines.

“Red Jet 7 continues a long tradition of using MTU engines which began with the Italian built hydrofoils which were used in the 1970s and ‘80s,” said Mark Slawson, Fleet and Technical director for Red Funnel. “For us, the winning features are the low cost of operating the engines and their high power-to-weight ratios. Coupled with low fuel consumption, this makes the vessels very efficient to run, which is important considering the heavy operating profile they endure.”

Powered by four 900 kW MTU Series 2000 engines, Red Jet 7 has a top speed of 38 knots while also meeting the International Maritime Organization requirements IMO for Tier II certification.

The aluminum catamaran is to join its sister ships Red Jet 6, Red Jet 4 and Red Jet 3 in plying between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. The fast ferry will complete the 9.9 nautical mile route in a mere 23 minutes.

With a length of over 40 m, Red Jet 7 is able to accommodate up to 277 passengers. Together, the four high-speed vessels can transport around 1000 passengers an hour.

Red Funnel carries over 3.4 million passengers per year between the British mainland and the Isle of Wight, a route it has been operating since 1861.