Rolls-Royce supplies MTU gas engines for world’s first LNG tugboat with hybrid system

• Sembcorp Marine installs two mtu 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines in harbour tug
• Jurong Marine Services will operate the eco-friendly tug in Singapore from end 2021
• LNG Hybrid tug first of 12 tugs for more sustainable harbour operations

Rolls-Royce is supplying two mtu 16V 4000 M55RN gas engines to Sembcorp Marine Integrated Yard for the construction of the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-hybrid powered tug. The harbour tug will be operated in Singapore by Jurong Marine Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine. The new LNG-hybrid tug is the first of 12 tugs that Sembcorp Marine plans to design and build to replace the existing diesel-powered ones between now and 2025.

“We are very happy to be part of Sembcorp Marine’s efforts in environmental protection and adopt new green technologies in their operations. The mtu marine gas engines are part of Rolls-Royce’s Green and High-Tech programme. Without exhaust gas aftertreatment they emit no sulfur oxides only very small quantities of nitrogen oxide and particulate mass is below the verification limit”, says Chew Xiang Yu, Head of Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ commercial marine business in Asia.

This is the first LNG-hybrid tug to be powered by mtu gas engines worldwide. Designed by LMG Marin (Norway), part of the Sembcorp Marine group, to deliver 65T Bollard Pull (BP) with ABS Class, the LNG-hybrid tug is estimated to be completed in the later part of 2021. The main propulsion system of the tug comprises twin 16-cyclinder mtu Series 4000 gas units which will provide a combined total power of 2984 kilowatts at 1600 RPM (revolutions per minute). The new gas engines are able to deliver performance comparable to a high-speed diesel engine. Equipped with multipoint fuel injection, dynamic engine control and enhanced turbocharging, the engines cater for dynamic acceleration capabilities, high power output and reduced emissions considerably below the current IMO III limits without the need for exhaust aftertreatment. The LNG-hybrid propulsion system will be able to provide flexibility to cater for various operational modes and is able to switch between low emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) engines and zero-emission battery power.

The new mtu gas engines are already powering ferries operated by the Dutch shipping company Doeksen in the specially protected Wadden Sea. A Lake Constance ferry operated by Stadtwerke Konstanz will also start operating in 2021 with the new mtu gas engines.

About Sembcorp Marine

Sembcorp Marine is an integrated brand offering one-stop engineering solutions for the offshore, marine and energy industries. The Group’s solutions focus on the following areas: Gas Value Chain, Renewable Energy processes, Advanced Drilling Rigs, Ocean Living and Maritime Security. Sembcorp Marine operates shipyards and facilities in Singapore, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Norway and Brazil.

About Rolls-Royce Holdings plc

1. Rolls-Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs.
2. Rolls-Royce Power Systems is headquartered in Friedrichshafen in southern Germany and employs around 10,000 people. The product portfolio includes mtu-brand high-speed engines and propulsion systems for ships, power generation, heavy land, rail and defence vehicles and for the oil and gas industry as well as diesel and gas systems and battery containers for mission critical, standby and continuous power, combined generation of heat and power, and microgrids.
3. Rolls-Royce has customers in more than 150 countries, comprising more than 400 airlines and leasing customers, 160 armed forces, 70 navies, and more than 5,000 power and nuclear customers.
4. Annual underlying revenue was £15.45 billion in 2019, around half of which came from the provision of aftermarket services.
5. In 2019, Rolls-Royce invested £1.46 billion on research and development. We also support a global network of 29 University Technology Centres, which position Rolls-Royce engineers at the forefront of scientific research.