Rolls-Royce lifts Marine business in France

One of the world's largest shiplifts, provided by Syncrolift Inc. - a Rolls-Royce company - entered service in Cherbourg today (June 19), marking another milestone in the growing relationship between Rolls-Royce and the French marine industry.

Tuesday, 19 June 2001

The 4,500-tonne capacity Syncrolift® shiplift was ordered by the Port of Cherbourg, enabling it to dock catamaran ferries and mono-hull vessels. It is part of a larger project to develop a specialist maintenance base for fast ships developed after a study found an emerging market for this type of repair and a skilled labour force in the area.

Syncrolift Inc. is the world leader in shiplift systems with up to 221 installations in 66 countries. Other Syncrolift installations in France include those at Dieppe and Acheres. The Cherbourg shiplift has a 90 by 32-metre platform which can transfer the boats from the water to a number of shore berths, maximising land use. It can also handle construction material and heavy cargo.

Another highly significant marine project involving Rolls-Royce is also being developed in France and involves French partnership. The Northrop Grumman/Rolls-Royce team, supported by French marine engineering company DCN, is developing the innovative WR-21 gas turbine. It is currently being qualified for US Navy applications in conjunction with the Royal Navy and French Navy at the DCN Indret facility, near Nantes.

Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce plc have been awarded a contract worth approximately £84 million by prime contractor BAE SYSTEMS to supply 12 WR-21 marine gas turbine packages for first six Type 45 "D" class destroyers for the Royal Navy. A class of up to 12 vessels is planned.

The WR-21 is a 25MW rated engine delivering 21.5MW to the Type 45 and is the culmination of a nine-year, £300 million development programme funded by the US, British and French navies. It is based on the highly successful Rolls-Royce RB211 and Trent families of commercial aircraft engines which have amassed more than 100 million flight hours.

Northrop Grumman's Marine Systems business, based in Sunnyvale, California, United States, is prime contractor for the WR-21 intercooled and recuperated engine programme, with overall responsibility for engineering and systems integration. Rolls-Royce is designing and developing the gas generator and power turbine.