HANSA 10-2017

Schiffstechnik | Ship Technology
MTU engines for the
San Francisco Bay
The San Francisco Bay is subject to special
environ mental protection. Now MTU has won
the order for delivering its first EPA Tier 4-compliant
propulsion systems for ferries that operate in the area
The egines will be installed in three brandnew
catamaran ferries for WETA (Water
Emergency Transportation Authority). The first
of the three high-speed ferries is expected to enter
service on the San Francisco Bay in late 2018.
»Our goal is to operate a ferry service that is
sustainable, cost-effcient and eco-friendly,« says
Nina Rannells, WETA Executive Director. »The
MTU Tier 4 engines will play a critical role in
WETA’s expansion of sustainable and reliable
ferry service on the San Francisco Bay.«
For the three 44-m catamarans, MTU is to supply
in total six 16V 4000 units, six MTU-built SCR
systems and six ZF gearboxes. All three vessels
will also be equipped with MTU BlueVision ship
automation. Each engine will deliver 2,560 kW/
3,435 bhp (1,800 rpm), enabling the catamarans
to reach speeds up to 34 kn. The ferries are being
built by the Dakota Creek Industries shipyard,
and since they are destined for service in
the Bay of San Francisco, the engines that propel
them will be subject to the EPA Tier 4 emissions
standard which came into force in the US on
1 January 2016. This demands substantially lower
nitrous oxide, particulate and hydrocarbon emissions
compared with the previous emissions stage.
»The system solution that MTU offers satisfies all
our criteria with respect to emissions, space requirement
and performance,« says Rannells.
20 years of partnership
The MTU-San Francisco Bay Area ferry partnership
goes back to 1997 and its development
was strongly supported by the MTU distributor
Pacific Power Group. WETA now operates over
30 MTU engines – Series 2000 or 4000 – in its
passenger only ferries. Knut Müller, head of marine
and governmental business at MTU, says:
»We are immensely proud that WETA has selected
our Tier 4 engines. WETA has always sought
drive technology of the highest order in terms of
innovation and ecological soundness and that has
constantly challenged us to keep on developing.«
WETA’s current ferry fleet is comprised of
14 high-speed catamarans that provide service
via nine terminals between the cities of Vallejo,
San Francisco, Alameda, Oakland and South
San Francisco. Since 2012, passenger numbers
have grown by 78% and now reach the 2.7 million
mark. The ferries are deployed to relieve the
traffc on Bay Area bridges. »We are experiencing
unprecedented growth in ferry ridership,«
says Rannells. »As our Bay Area population expands
and traffc congestion continues to worsen,
more and more people are looking for a convenient
and enjoyable means of transportation,
and they’re turning to ferries.« In 2016, WETA
adopted a strategic plan that outlines a vision for
44 vessels, 16 terminals and a 740% increase in
peak capacity by 2035.
Scheduled for delivery to WETA at the end of
this year is MTU’s propulsion system as launched
in 2016, which integrates Series 4000 diesel engines
with SCR systems for exhaust gas after-treatment
for compliance with the IMO III and EPA Tier
4 emissions standards. Advances in turbocharging,
internal combustion and fuel injection, combined
with the new SCR system, have facilitated
a 75% reduction in nitrous-oxide emissions compared
to IMO II and a 65% reduction in particulates
compared to EPA Tier 3. There is no need for
an additional diesel particulate filter, and fuel consumption
is up to 5% lower than on the predecessor
engine. Depending on the number of cylinders,
power output ranges from 1,380 to 3,220 kW. M
Photos: MTU
52 HANSA International Maritime Journal – 154. Jahrgang – 2017 – Nr. 10