Caterpillar dual-fuel engines to be installed on four cruise ships

A division of US-based Caterpillar Inc and headquartered in Hamburg, Caterpillar Marine now offers all-round LNG propulsion solutions – from shoreside bunkering to onboard storage; from bunker tanks via LNG handling and treatment to the dual-fuel engines including automation systems; and ultimately the dual-fuel main engines MaK 16 M 46 DF, in close cooperation with LNG and cryogenic specialist Marine Service GmbH, which is also based in Hamburg.
“From a single source, we provide the complete system for ship operators who wish to capitalise on the benefits of LNG as a marine fuel,” said Ulf Hannemann, Caterpillar Marine's cruise and ferry segment manager. “We've successfully completed a number of diesel to dual-fuel conversions in the commercial shipping sector and our pipeline of newbuild installations continues to grow. However, it’s in the cruise sector that we see the greatest opportunities. Clean fuel for cruise vessels is essential in both operational and business strategy terms.”
Caterpillar says it is also pioneering new techniques that make gas-only operation even more attractive. Research and development at Caterpillar’s facility in Rostock, Germany, has demonstrated the efficient operation of LNG main engines at loads of less than 20% for the first time, according to the company. Caterpillar demonstrated the capabilities of the MaK M 46 DF engine and started the engine by using LNG from the very beginning, thus avoiding diesel-engine-specific emissions – another first for the company, it says.
“This development is a key consideration for cruise operators who wish to use LNG, rather than risk smoke from the funnel or soot on deck while starting main engines and manoeuvring in port waters,” remarked Dr Frank Starke, managing director of Caterpillar Motoren.