Diesel-electric Propulsion Remains Niche Market Despite Advantages

摘要

From tugs to tankers, diesel-elec-rntric propulsion enjoys such a high profile these days that it's easy to forget that most new ships are much more conventionally powered. But architects and engineers who gathered near Washington, D.C., in February for a symposium on electric ships heard a reminder from the keynote speaker that the proportion of diesel-electric vessels built each year varies between just 2 and 4.5 percent.rn"Electric propulsion is a niche market," said Jukka Kuuskoski, vice president for ABB Marine in Finland.rnThat said, diesel-electric dominatesrnsome vessel types. Looking at the current world order backlog, ABB puts the market share at 100 percent for cruise ships, icebreakers and drilling vessels, and 45 percent for LNG carriers. Even orders for large OSVs - defined by Kuuskoski as those with more than 4 to 6 MW of installed power - are currendy 50 percent diesel-electric. For example, New Orleans-based Tidewater, which operates the world s largest fleet of offshore vessels, recendy announced that it is building 12 new diesel-electric 286-footers in China.