By
Rebecca Gibson |
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems is to fit its first MaK M 46 DF dual fuel marine engine on AIDA Cruises’ newbuild, which is currently under construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ Nagasaki shipyard in Japan.
The M 46 DF has been designed for both electric drive and mechanical propulsion systems and is able to alternate from gas to diesel mode during operation. This will allow the vessel to operate in all geographical areas, regardless of fuel and emission restrictions.
Although designed to operate on LNG, marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, the M 46 DF engine will also work efficiently in compliance with IMO III and EPA Tier 4 regulations in gas mode. It also allows retrofitting of current M 43 C engines.
“We’re pleased to deliver our first dual fuel marine product to AIDA cruise lines, a long-time collaborator and partner,” said Detlef Kirste, senior product definition engineer at Caterpillar Marine Power Systems. “The M 46 DF will provide AIDA with superior performance and operational flexibility without sacrificing power or reliability.”
Caterpillar will offer support for the installation, application and system integration of the M 46 DF engine, as well as customer and crew training.