German manufacturer MAN Diesel & Turbo is to supply the engines for what will be the world’s largest cutter suction dredger (CSD), ordered by Belgium dredging company Jan De Nul.
Currently designated JDN8069 and being built at Croatian shipyard Uljanik Brodogradiliste in Pula, the vessel will feature one MAN 14V48/60CR and two MAN 9L48/60CR engines.
It will also have three step-up Renk Rheine gearboxes for its diesel-electric plant – and Renk will also deliver the gearboxes for the cutterhead drive as well as for the dredge and booster pumps.
The CSD will boast well more than 40,000 kW total installed diesel power, making it about 50% more powerful than Jan De Nul’s current CSD flagship, the J.F.J. De Nul. The main engines alone produce 38,400 kW – the 14V48/60CR engine is rated at 16,800 kW, while the two 9L48/60CR engines produce 10,800 kW each.
JDN8069 is due for delivery at the beginning of 2017 and will operate globally.
Speaking to IHS Maritime, a MAN spokeswoman declined to reveal the value of the contract or delivery and installation details, “Unfortunately, we cannot supply any further information,” she said.
However, MAN vice-president and head of four-stroke marine Lex Nijsen commented, “This new vessel represents a significant development within the dredger segment in that, up to now, the largest installed power on similar vessels was approximately 27-28 MW, a figure the new vessel easily surpasses.
“Jan De Nul Group knows MAN very well and much of its fleet features our engines. I’m confident this order will help Jan De Nul maintain its strong presence in the dredger market.”
The L/V 48/60CR is one of the most successful engine types used in dredging applications, MAN states. “Among the 56 such engines we currently have on order for various marine applications, 14 are bound for installation aboard cutter and hopper dredger newbuildings for customers in Benelux and China.
“All engines will be built at MAN’s main facility in Augsburg, Germany, and the 48/60CR engines are equipped with key, in-house-developed technologies to optimise their economic and ecological performance, including: high-efficiency TCA-type exhaust-gas turbochargers; advanced electronic fuel-injection systems; and MAN’s proprietary SaCoSone electronic hardware and software for engine control, monitoring and diagnosis.”
Jan De Nul announced the newbuilding contract in March this year. JDN8069 will be 151.3 m long, 36 m wide, have a draught of 5.75 m and be able to dredge to 45 m. Its main propulsion engines will give it a speed of 12 kt.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
