From 2019, Rolls-Royce Power Systems and the City of Constance public utility are to begin testing the marine propulsion technology of the future on Lake Constance. This takes the form of a gas engine carrying the MTU brand.

The public utility's new car ferry is to be equipped with twin 8-cylinder Series 4000 gas engines from MTU, each delivering 746 kW. This project will produce the first inland waterway passenger vessel in Europe to be propelled by straightforward high-speed gas engines fuelled by LNG. Representatives from Rolls-Royce Power Systems and the Constance public utility signed the cooperation agreement covering a two-year trial of the propulsion system on Friday.

“Gas engines for mobile applications form a core component of our Green and Hightech initiative. This flagship project is being realized on our local ferry service between the towns of Meersburg and Constance, which allows us to demonstrate the effectiveness of our new technology and set an international trend right on our doorstep. We firmly believe that in shipping, gas engines are set to play a pivotal role as a back-up to well-proven diesel engine technology,” said Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The 8th Gas Fuelled Ships Conference, the sponsors of which include MTU as silver sponsor, will take place from 13-15 November 2017 on board the Viking Mariella, a ferry featuring the world’s largest methanol fuel cell.

The programme will feature future fuel options, pricing predictions, infrastructure updates, bunkering, safety and technology updates and operator feedback on the use of LNG as a fuel, will all feature on the programme, together with in-depth panel discussions from cross-sector experts.

Norbert Reuter, head of the Constance public utility, said in a statement about the Lake Constance project that “gas engines are to determine the course of marine propulsion in the future.”

Join the discussion on the future of marine propulsion at GFS 2017. To book your place call +44 1329 825335 or visit our website www.motorship.com/gfsconference.