Germany: MAN Diesel & Turbo to Equip Four New Offshore Vessels with Complete PS

MAN Diesel & Turbo SE is to equip four new ocean-going specialist vessels with complete propulsion systems. The Augsburg-based leading manufacturer of large-bore diesel engines and turbomachinery has secured a contract to deliver 16 four-stroke engines with gears and controllable pitch propellers to the specialist vessel operator Swire Pacific Offshore Operations Pte Ltd (SPO). The four specialist vessels will be built at ST Marine Singapore and should be ready by mid 2014. The order volume for MAN Diesel & Turbo is worth around Euro 22 million.

The four new anchor handling tugs will mainly be used to transport and supply rigs on the high seas. However, their large decks and tank capacities also make them suitable for numerous other offshore activities.

Each ship is powered by a MAN Diesel & Turbo propulsion system consisting of four 9L27/38GO-type main engines, two gears and two controllable pitch propellers. The four propulsion engines have an output of up to 12 MW, making them ideal for use on the high seas. The high propulsion power of the ships means they can cope with the severe weather conditions in which offshore activities frequently take place in locations like the North and Barents Seas. The ships also require high power reserves to tow a drilling rig to its site and anchor it.

SPO has been drawing on the technical expertise of MAN Diesel & Turbo for a number of years and the latest contract is the second delivery of complete propulsion systems of this type. SPO operates a total of 52 MAN 9L27/38GO-type engines in its fleet including the current order.

“We are absolutely delighted to have entered into a partnership with SPO, one of the world’s leading offshore specialists. We work closely and remain in constant dialogue with SPO in order to continue to meet the demands of this discerning customer, to further improve our service and to progress future projects,” emphasises Dr. Stephan Timmermann, the MAN Diesel & Turbo Executive Board member responsible for business involving marine engines and propulsion systems.

MAN Diesel & Turbo can also report another success this time in the Norwegian offshore market. At the start of July, Sanco Shipping AS, a Norwegian operator of specialist vessels for the seismic industry, signed a contract for the delivery of four 8L32/40-type engines.

“Securing this contract is especially momentous – first, because we successfully fended off competition from a host of rivals to sell our products in a fiercely competitive market, and second, because we have made further inroads in the Norwegian offshore market,” explains Dr. Stephan Timmermann.