Rolls-Royce Power Systems has revealed it will launch an entirely new range of MTU hybrid ship propulsion systems in 2020.

The systems will be made available in a variety of power ranges and will consist of MTU internal combustion engines, electric drive modules, transmission systems, batteries and monitoring and control. Rolls-Royce will offer variable propulsion modes to suit a variety of vessels, including yachts, work boats, ferries and patrol boats.

The hybrid propulsion system designed for tugs, for instance, will facilitate precise movement using the electric motor. Meanwhile, the systems will allow for silent and emission-free cruising on yachts or passenger vessels.

As of 2020, systems incorporating MTU Series 2000 engines combined with one or two electric motors per power train, each with 150 kW of electrical output, will be launched on the market and will cover a power range of between approximately 1,000 and 2,200 kilowatts per power train.

In 2021, MTU will extend its portfolio with the addition of hybrid systems based on the power delivered by MTU Series 4000 engines and as many as four electric motors, each with 150 kW of electrical output, and will cover a power range of between approximately 1,000 and 4,000 kilowatts per powertrain.

“The combination of diesel engines and electric motors, in addition to batteries, will offer our customers significant benefits in a variety of marine applications. The most important being efficiency, environmental compatibility and the flexibility of the propulsion system,” says Knut Müller, head of the Marine and Government Business at MTU. “With the aid of a modular system, we will make integrated hybrid propulsion systems available that are tailored to the customer’s specific requirements.”

Rolls-Royce is planning to test a new MTU hybrid system incorporating Series 2000 engines in a yacht in 2019.