Major export deal boosts UK marine engine building

摘要

Giving a huge fillip to the resumption of engine building in the UK by MAN Diesel & Turbo, the VP185 high-speed diesel has attracted a major contract from overseas. A total 60 engines of the compact, well-proven design are to be supplied for a project entailing 28 newbuild vessels. The £39m (US$67m) order includes gearboxes, controls and monitoring equipment, and is thought to be the single largest UK propulsion engine export deal for nearly three decades. The first set of two, 12-cylinder VP185 engines was despatched in May, and deliveries of the entire series are scheduled over a six-year period. Augmenting the primary role of the UK arm of MAN Diesel & Turbo role in engine servicing, overhaul and after-sales, the manufacturing and test programme for the 60 units is focused on MAN'S Colchester factory, the erstwhile Paxman works, where the VP185 was designed and initially rolled-out in 1993 by former owner GEC Alsthom Diesels.