Fuel cell-powered feeders to have MAN GenSets
The MAN 12V175D-MEV GenSet
(Source: MAN Energy Solutions)
India’s Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) has ordered two pairs of MAN 12V175D-MEV variable-speed GenSets for two short-sea feeders to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The vessels are being built for Rotterdam-based Samskip Group.
The two ships, part of the SeaShuttle project, will be among the first of their kind to be powered by 3.2-MW hydrogen fuel cells. The MAN GenSets will provide a back-up, forming a diesel-electric propulsion plant with a permanent magnet generator.
The 135m-long vessels, with a capacity of 500 TEU, will be deployed between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam, a distance of about 700 nautical miles. The two ships, designed as autonomous-ready and capable of being controlled remotely, are due for delivery in the third and fourth quarters of 2025.
MAN Energy Solutions’ head of High Speed, Florian Keiler, said: “This is a groundbreaking project which sets new standards for environmentally friendly shipping. In that vein, our engines are capable of running on bio-fuels like HVO and B100 and showcase our green credentials in pursuing decarbonisation. We congratulate Samskip and CSL on this exciting venture and look forward to working closely with them.”
Are Gråthen, Samskip Norway, declared: “Samskip is very proud to take the lead role in pioneering the SeaShuttle initiative as part of its ‘making green logistics easy’ strategy.”
Commenting that the project provides a platform to make emissions-free container shipping a reality, Gråthen said that SeaShuttle would create what amounted to one of Europe’s first zero-emission ‘green corridors’.
The 175D is a variable-speed GenSet with high efficiency across the load range, good fuel efficiency, and low emissions. The high-speed engines which, it is claimed, have the lowest total cost of ownership in the market, come with closed-loop selective catalytic reduction systems, long oil-change intervals, and best-in-class time-between-overhauls, MAN said.
Samskip provides pan-European combined transport services via short sea, road, rail, and inland waterways. High-frequency door-to-door and quay-to-quay services connect ports across Europe including the Baltic states, Iceland and the Faroes.
