Major order for MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH: Almost 500 yacht engines for Italian Ferretti Group

• Framework contract running until 2007 confirms mtu as market leader in the yacht engine sector
• Series 2000 and 4000 engines for shipyard group
• Key factors in decision to purchase: Power and reliability
• 2000 Common Rail engines now in 12 and 16 cylinder versions for the first time

MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH has won a major contract to supply the Italian shipbuilding group Ferretti with almost 500 yacht engines. The company has thus underlined its role as market leader for propulsion units for yachts in the 60 to 120-foot class. The shipyards in the group have ordered a total of around 450 Series 2000 Common Rail engines with 8, 10, 12, and 16 cylinders as well as 50 12V and 16V Series 4000 units.

Under the terms of the agreement, the engines will be delivered to the group’s shipyards between 2005 and 2007. Although framework contracts with shipbuilders involving large numbers of engines are nothing new for mtu, the scale and value of the latest contract are significantly greater than in previous agreements. “This is currently the biggest order in the European shipbuilding industry“, commented Rainer Breidenbach, mtu Vice President, Sales. “It represents a major revenue factor for mtu’s marine sector over the next couple of years“, added Michel van Wees, Director, Sales Center Marine.

Key features in awarding the contract: Power and reliability

The contract is positive confirmation of the concept behind the Series 2000 Common Rail engine which was introduced in 2004. The unit’s reliability coupled with outstanding power/weight and power/volume ratios and excellent consumption and emissions characteristics were decisive in the award of the contract. The 8V, 10V, 12V and 16V models cover the markets for 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2400 hp units (895, 1120, 1344 and 1792 kW).

The order will also see the market debut of the 12 and 16 cylinder versions of the new Series 2000 Common Rail engines in the wake of the 8 and 10V versions which were successfully introduced in 2004. Series production of the 12 and 16 cylinder units is scheduled for September 2005 when the transition from conventional Series 2000 engines to 2000 Common Rail engines will be realized in all cylinder configurations.

Service and maintenance of Ferretti’s new engines will be well catered for by mtu Italy’s large team of specialists based near La Spezia. Including this latest order, a total of over 1000 Series 2000 Common Rail engines has now been ordered worldwide.

State-of-the-art engineering

The series benefits from a range of technical innovations including the latest generation Common Rail system, a new and powerful turbocharger system and the new ADEC engine management system (Advanced Diesel Engine Control). With this latest common rail technology, a maximum pressure of 1800 bar is maintained virtually constant throughout the entire system. The ADEC equipment was developed with the aim of integrating the engine in the power train as easily and with as few problems as posssible. At a maximum speed of 85,000 rpm the turbochargers develop a charge air pressure of 4 bar — a pressure which engines of this size generally need a complex 2-stage charging system to achieve.

Key features in awarding the contract: Power and reliability The contract is positive confirmation of the concept behind the Series 2000 Common Rail engine which was introduced in 2004. The unit’s reliability coupled with outstanding power/weight and power/volume ratios and excellent consumption and emissions characteristics were decisive in the award of the contract. The 8V, 10V, 12V and 16V models cover the markets for 1200, 1500, 1800 and 2400 hp units (895, 1120, 1344 and 1792 kW). The order will also see the market debut of the 12 and 16 cylinder versions of the new Series 2000 Common Rail engines in the wake of the 8 and 10V versions which were successfully introduced in 2004. Series production of the 12 and 16 cylinder units is scheduled for September 2005 when the transition from conventional Series 2000 engines to 2000 Common Rail engines will be realized in all cylinder configurations. Service and maintenance of Ferretti’s new engines will be well catered for by mtu Italy’s large team of specialists based near La Spezia. Including this latest order, a total of over 1000 Series 2000 Common Rail engines has now been ordered worldwide.

State-of-the-art engineering

The series benefits from a range of technical innovations including the latest generation Common Rail system, a new and powerful turbocharger system and the new ADEC engine management system (Advanced Diesel Engine Control). With this latest common rail technology, a maximum pressure of 1800 bar is maintained virtually constant throughout the entire system. The ADEC equipment was developed with the aim of integrating the engine in the power train as easily and with as few problems as posssible. At a maximum speed of 85,000 rpm the turbochargers develop a charge air pressure of 4 bar — a pressure which engines of this size generally need a complex 2-stage charging system to achieve.

New Pershing 90 yacht

The Ferretti Group is also installing hi-tech from mtu in its new Pershing 90 yacht which made its debut at the yacht exhibition in Cannes at the beginning of September: Two 16V 2000 M93 Common Rail engines will power the 90-foot (27.40 m) luxury yacht. The two mtu engines each produce 2400 hp (1792 kW) and can accelerate the Pershing 90 to a top speed of more than 44 knots.