Rolls-Royce has announced that the new MTU gas marine engine, the first in the company’s portfolio, has successfully completed 3,000 hours on the test bench. The engine meets the requirements of the company, as well as the requirements of their customers: performance and acceleration are similar to the excellent characteristics of a diesel engine, it is economical, reliable and clean, according to the company. The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, where they are convinced that gas engines will become increasingly important as a complement to their proven marine diesel engines given that natural gas is an important fuel of the future. It will be available for longer, in many regions of the world it is easier to reach and has a better environmental footprint than heavy oils and diesel.
In 2018, Rolls-Royce will deliver the first certified gas engines from series production for commercial ships. 16-cylinder gas engines will cover the power range from 1500 to 200 kW and will be based on the tried and tested MTU 16V 4000 M63 diesel engine for work boats, while in 2019 the gas engine portfolio will be supplemented by an 8-cylinder engine with power range from 750 to 1000 kW to power one of the first high-speed gas-powered ferries in Europe to operate on Lake Constance.