Rolls-Royce has signed a deal to supply 15 natural gas engines to Norwegian ferry company Torghatten Nord AS. As reported, these engines will power five LNG ferries operating between Bergen and Stord.
“Since the introduction of our first marine gas engines 10 years ago, Rolls-Royce has delivered more than 700 gas engines on land and at sea, accumulating over 25 million running hours of operating experience,” says Kjell Harloff, Rolls-Royce vice president in engines – marine. “We have proved that the Bergen lean-burn, pure gas, medium-speed engine range – combined with efficient hull designs – can help customers, like Torghatten Nord, cut their ships’ emissions and fuel bills significantly.”
All 15 are C26:33 series Bergen engines, with nine cylinders in-line. The company says the engine can operate on variable speed to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions, adding that the C-gas engine has an operating speed of 1,000 RPM and power of 2,430 kW.
Two of the vessels will be built at the VARD Brevik yard in Norway, while the other three will be built at the Tersan Shipyard in Turkey. The vessels are expected to enter service in January 2019.
According to Rolls-Royce, the Bergen C26:33 series reduces total greenhouse-gas emissions by about 20% compared with a similar diesel engine and is IMO Tier 3-compliant, without the need of exhaust aftertreatment system. Engine rooms on natural gas-powered vessels also stay much cleaner, saving operators time and money by reducing the frequency of cleaning tasks and the cost of chemicals, the company says.
Bergen C26:33 series engines are in operation across a range of vessel types, including cargo vessels, PSVs and tugs, as well as passenger vessels.
Torghatten Nord currently has 33 ferries and 10 express boats in operation in Norway. Four earlier LNG ferries, with Bergen gas engines, were built at Polish yard Remontowa and have been operating on two routes serving Lofoten.
