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MAN Diesel & Turbo has supplied a complete propulsion system comprising a 7L32/44CR engine, Renk gears and an Alpha adjustable CP propeller for an ultra-modern chemicals tanker operated by German shipping group GEFO Gesellschaft für Öltransporte mbH - a business that also has a bunker sales division based at its head office in Hamburg.

MAN Diesel & Turbo said the order represents a breakthrough for the 32/44CR series in the small twin-hulled tanker sector of the market.

The tanker, christened Fidelio, has a deadweight tonnage (dwt) of 6366 and can transport 260 types of (petro-) chemical materials – from vegetable oil to sulfuric acid. The Fidelio's main routes will be in northern Europe, however the vessel is also equipped for worldwide operation and is said to comply with the strict emissions regulations enforced in US coastal waters.

The chemicals tanker was built at the Tersan Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey, and is currently on its maiden voyage from Israel, via France, to the Netherlands.

The 7L32/44CR engine, built at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s plant in Augsburg, has an output of 3,920 kW and drives a MAN Alpha Mark 5 adjustable propeller via a reduction gear unit from Renk. According to MAN Diesel & Turbo, this combination boosts the drive system’s efficiency by up to nine percent, helping to save both fuel costs as well as reduce emissions.

The gears also have a pinion shaft which operates a Cummins generator to supply the ship’s power (PTO mode). The generator can also serve as an electrical motor to drive the propeller at reduced speeds and when the main engine is offline (PTH mode). With this configuration, the propulsion system is said to produce a high level of reliability and excellent cost-effectiveness.

The tanker Fidelio is the first in a series of three new designs featuring the MAN drive train, which also include the Othello and the Traviata, and which are due to be delivered in the summer and fall of this year.

"We focused intently on the dimensioning and design of the tankers to achieve the best possible efficiency. The modern MAN Common Rail engines and propeller optimization with a MAN Alpha propeller played a key role in this," said Michael Blume, Technical Project Manager at GEFO. "As a long-established partner, we have already worked closely with MAN Diesel & Turbo during the planning phase."

"The order confirms our customer GEFO’s confidence in us," commented Klaus Deleroi, Head of the Medium Speed Business Unit at MAN Diesel & Turbo. "The MAN 32/44CR engine impressed GEFO with its high reliability, compact design, low running and maintenance costs and low exhaust and noise emissions."

The 32/44CR engine was developed as a drive and auxiliary engine for use on ships, for the offshore industry and for stationary applications. With electrically controlled injection, variable valve control and highly efficient turbochargers, it combines the latest technologies available for large diesel engines.

The Common Rail technology from MAN Diesel & Turbo supports parameters that permit the flexible adjustment of the injection point, duration and pressure. Its highly specific output is designed to simultaneously lower fuel consumption and reduce emissions.