Klaus Schmidt, Director Naval Application Engineering at Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, said: “The topics of climate protection and sustainability are currently gaining in importance in the naval sector. We want to use Euronaval to enter into a dialogue with our partners from industry and the armed forces about which climate-friendly solutions will be the right ones for diverse naval applications.”
Rolls-Royce Power Systems is evolving from an engine manufacturer to a provider of integrated sustainable solutions from bridge to propeller. The Rolls-Royce business unit is pioneering the development of methanol engines and already has hybrid propulsion systems for marine applications in its portfolio. Fuel cell solutions are soon to follow as another climate-friendly power and propulsion solution. Next year, Rolls-Royce will release its mtu Series 2000 and 4000 marine engines for sustainable fuels. This will enable the reduction of CO2 emissions from existing diesel engines by up to 90 per cent, compared to the use of fossil diesel, without any changes to infrastructure. Future versions of the proven mtu Series 1163 and 8000 large marine engines, which will meet the IMO Tier III emissions directive with mtu SCR systems, are also to be approved for use with sustainable fuels. They were recently unveiled at trade show SMM.
“We consider synthetic fuels from sustainable sources to be the most realistic option for marine applications on the way to more climate-friendly use, at least for larger combat ships,” said Klaus Schmidt. “As a company that always wants to offer its customers the best and most suitable technical solutions, we are also prepared for other scenarios through our current development programmes. We look forward to exchanging ideas with our partners and customers during Euronaval and beyond.”