Power for carbon fibre ferries in Hong Kong
As high-speed ferries operate continuously at high speeds, engines have to reliably operate over a long service life
The three vessels, to be deployed on the route between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, will be operated by Zhongshan-Hong Kong Passenger Shipping Co-op Co Ltd.
Two of the vessels, with capacity for 300 passengers, will have a quadruple Kamewa type S56-4 waterjet installation and four MTU 12V 2000M72 engines giving a speed of 40 knots. The third vessel, powered by two MTU 16V 2000M72 engines, each driving a type S63-4 waterjet, will have capacity to carry up to 230 passengers at a speed of 37 knots.
Brødene Aa shipyard has also ordered Rolls-Royce propulsion systems for two similarly-sized ferries to operate on routes in the north of Norway. Ordered by the Nordland Fylkeskommune county municipality, the vessels will have capacity for 220 passengers and 16 freight pallets weighing up to eight tonnes. Each vessel will have four MTU engines of the type 10V 2000M72 giving a service speed of 32 knots.
The combination of lightweight composite construction reinforced by carbon fibre and the efficiency of the propulsion systems is expected to provide the fast ferries with a reduction in fuel consumption of about 30% as compared with existing vessels.
The Norwegian ferries are expected to be delivered in December 2018 and February 2019 while the Chinese vessels are expected to be delivered to Hong Kong by June 2019.
