Caterpillar Marine Power Systems announced the shipment of the first MaK™ M 46 DF dual fuel marine engine. The M 46 DF, Caterpillar’s first marine dual fuel solution, will power a newbuild ordered by Germany’s AIDA cruises. Three 12 M 43 C marine engines will also power the cruise liner.
The engine left the MaK Rostock, Germany facility en route to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan. Upon arrival, it will immediately be placed in the ship’s hull.
“ We’re pleased to deliver our first dual fuel marine product to AIDA cruise lines, a longtime collaborator and partner, ” said Detlef Kirste, Caterpillar Marine Power Systems Senior Product Definition Engineer. “ The M 46 DF will provide AIDA with superior performance and operational flexibility without sacrificing power or reliability. ”
Able to alternate from gas to diesel mode during operation, the M 46 DF offers the flexibility to operate vessels reliably in all geographical areas, whether the fuel in use is gas, marine diesel oil (MDO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO). In gas mode, the M 46 DF features industry-leading fuel consumption and will comply with IMO III as well as EPA Tier 4 regulations. The engine has been designed to allow retrofitting of current M 43 C engines.
With a bore of 460 millimeters and stroke of 610, the engine was designed for electric drive propulsion systems as well as mechanical propulsion systems. Although designed for unlimited operation on LNG, marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, the M 46 DF will reach industry- leading efficiency in gas mode.
Caterpillar offers its renowned service and support for the MaK dual fuel engine, including installation and application, system integration support, as well as customer and crew training. The M 46 DF is distributed and sold through Caterpillar’s MaK dealer network.
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, July 3, 2013; Image: Caterpillar