On of the most difficult tasks for maritime engineers is posed by the upcoming emission regulations pushing for cleaner and more efficient engines compliant with IMO Tier III/IV NOx emission standards, Dr. Ulrich Dohle,President and CEO of the Rolls-Royce Power Systems subsidiary MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH said during a press briefing at the SMM.
Mr Dohle said that MTU and Fairplay Towage are going to test an MTU diesel genset with SCR exhaust aftertreatment in real life. The first test will take place in two years time and will involve a harbor tug in order to verify compliance with IMO Tier III emission requirements that come into force as of 2016. The nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are expected to be reduced by 90% in comparison with the IMO Tier I regulation that was introduced in 2000.
“This is one of the world’s first tests of high-speed diesel engines equipped with an SCR system designed to meet the NOx levels required by IMO Tier III, ” said Dr. Michael Haidinger, Chief Sales Officer of Rolls-Royce Power Systems. “We are proud to have this opportunity to demonstrate to our customers a pre-series and cost-saving solution.”
The new Fairplay tug featuring a bollard pull of 90 tons is currently being built at the Spanish shipyard Astilleros Armon and is scheduled to go into service in the Port of Rotterdam as of 2015.
MTU is supplying the two main 16V 4000 M63L propulsion engines, each with 2,000 kW, a 16-cylinder 4000 M23F diesel genset rated at 1,520 kW, and the SCR system. The exhaust aftertreatment system, with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, is connected to the diesel genset. As with modern commercial vehicle drive systems, an aqueous urea solution reacts with the nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas to neutralize them.
The tests on the Fairplay tug, which will run continuously for 10,000 hours, are designed to enable MTU to get ready for the series solution for IMO Tier III marine engines. As of 2016, newly built ships that operate in Emission Control Areas (ECA) in North American coastal waters and in the U.S. Caribbean will have to comply with the NO x limits specified in the IMO Tier III emission standards and the MARPOL Annex VI regulations of the International Maritime Organization.
“MTU is well-prepared for IMO Tier III, be it with SCR exhaust aftertreatment systems for diesel engines or with gas engines, ” explains Dr. Michael Haidinger, Chief Sales Officer at Rolls-Royce Power Systems .
The Rolls-Royce brand MTU will be presenting its propulsion and systems portfolio for yachts, merchant vessels and navy ships at the international maritime trade fair SMM from 9 12 September, 2014. MTU will also be showcasing variable-speed gensets for yacht and merchant fleet applications.