Rolls-Royce Developing New 16-Cylinder Natural Gas Engine for Tug

Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ German subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen is developing a new 16-cylinder gas-powered engine for the reverse stern drive (RSD) CNG tug, which is currently under construction. In June, Damen Shipyards, MTU and Denmark’s Svitzer partnered for the development of the new RSD CNG tug. The new gas engine will be based on MTU’s workboat series 4000 M63 diesel engine and will include a multi-point gas injection system, a dynamic engine control and an optimized safety concept. According to the company, the new generation series 4000 engine not only allows higher brake mean effective pressures for maximum efficiency, but also improves the use of natural gas for generating heat and power. Claimed to be the first such product, the new RSD CNG tug prototype will be designed and developed to deliver reduced fuel costs and lower emissions, while making use of high power. The new tug is slated for official launch in 2016.