Big ship

Engine developer MAN Diesel has won a contract worth €25m to supply nine of its large-bore diesel engines with common rail technology and a combined output of just under 95MW to power what will be the largest ship in the world.

When it enters service in 2010, the so-called Pieter Schelte (illustrated below) will be used for the construction of drilling and production platforms on the high seas.

Using the ship, platforms can be erected, dismantled or moved. In addition, the ship is also is equipped to lay oil and gas pipelines. The vessel is a twin-hull construction and is 360 metres long by 117 metres wide. Its cranes have a lifting capacity of 48,000 tons ­- also a world record.

The immense energy demands of this vessel are covered by nine MAN Diesel engines. The ship will use eight of the company's V configuration versions of its latest  32/44CR four-stroke medium speed engines and one of its inline nine cylinder engines, making a total of 169 cylinders in all. The engines all drive electrical generator-sets and have an output of 560kW per cylinder.