MAN Diesel & Turbo is to supply eight engines for the diesel-electric propulsion of two cruise ship newbuildings to Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., world leader in cruise shipbuilding. The company is delivering the engines in cooperation with Alfa Laval who will supply accompanying exhaust-gas-treatment systems (PureSOx) for sulphur-oxide removal.

Each cruise ship will be powered by 2 × MAN 9L32/44CR + 2 × MAN 12V32/44CR engines, providing a combined output of 23,520 kW in a diesel-electric propulsion arrangement. The engines will operate with MAN Diesel & Turbo’s well-proven, state- of-the-art, common-rail injection system, suitable for both heavy fuel oil and distillate fuels. This technology, developed in-house by MAN Diesel & Turbo and fully optimised for its engines, provides superior performance in terms of fuel consumption and smoke emissions, especially at part-load.

Sokrates Tolgos – MAN Diesel & Turbo – Head of Cruise & Ferry Sales said: "We feel extremely honoured to have won Fincantieri, the world’s largest cruise shipbuilder, as a new customer for our engines in this high-added-value market segment. Fincantieri’s and Viking Ocean Cruises’ confidence in realising such a technologically leading and innovative cruise project with MAN Diesel & Turbo and Alfa Laval, our consortium partner, signals a new era of cooperation. We consider it an historical step for our future growth in the cruise and ferry business.”

Tolgos continued: “By combining MAN’s efficiency-leading 32/44CR engines with the PureSOx exhaust-gas-treatment system, these super-luxury cruise vessels can fulfill the increasingly stringent global requirements for permissible sulphur-oxide emissions in the most economical manner possible. This especially applies to the demanding limit of 0.1% sulphur fuel equivalent in Emission Controlled Areas (ECAs).”
 
With a total passenger capacity of 936 and a crew to passenger ratio of approximately 1:2, the ships are destined to serve the segment demand for small, super-luxury vessels. Delivery of the two newbuildings to the ship owner is scheduled for early 2015 and early 2016, respectively.