BAE Systems awards Rolls-Royce Type 26 Diesel Generators manufacturing contract
BAE Systems has awarded an equipment contract to Rolls-Royce to manufacture diesel generators for the first three Type 26 anti-submarine warfare ships for the Royal Navy.
Above:
(left to right) Geoff Searle Type 26 Project Director, BAE Systems, Stephen Gillespie Major Sub Con and Program Manager, BAE Systems, (third row) Andreas Kauper Manager Sales, Steering and Business Development, MTU, (first row) Tobias Schiffmann Manager Sales Governmental, MTU, Commander Duncan Mccue, Royal Navy, Matthew Reilly Senior Mechanical Engineer, BAE Systems , Paul Brown Supply chain Director, BAE Systems and Colin Newton Major Sub Con and Program Manager, BAE Systems.
This marks the first Type 26 manufacturing contract to be agreed since the UK Ministry of Defence announced a £472 million contract extension in March 2016 to progress the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme.
Each Type 26 ship will require four of the MTU diesel generators based on 20-cylinder MTU Series 4000 engines, which will provide a low-emission solution to the ships’ electrical supply and slow speed propulsion. Each generator set will deliver approximately 3 MW of generated power, enough to power around 6,000 homes. The generator sets are similar in size to a 20ft shipping container.
Geoff Searle, Type 26 Programme Director at BAE Systems, said: “This is another great step forward for the programme. We are seeing real momentum, with manufacturing contracts awarded to seven supply chain partners for key equipment for the first three ships, and I look forward to continuing to work with the team at Rolls-Royce as we move forward.
“We are working closely with partners across our supply chain in the UK, Europe and further afield. We are pushing forward innovation in the way we design and manufacture warships, harnessing new technologies and processes to make sure we can deliver cutting-edge solutions to meet the Royal Navy’s requirements.”
MTU is a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce and is one of the leading manufacturers of large diesel engines and complete propulsion and drive systems for marine applications.
Knut Müller, Head of MTU Governmental Business, said: “The Type 26 Global Combat Ship is the first newly-designed Royal Navy surface vessel to be equipped with MTU engines and the fact that we are involved in such a leading-edge project fills us with great pride.”
It is the first time Rolls-Royce has supplied a naval vessel with an MTU propulsion system that meets the requirements of the IMO III emissions directive. To achieve this, each of the four engines on the vessels will be fitted with an exhaust after treatment system, which uses a Selective Catalytic Reduction unit to neutralise nitrogen oxide emissions. The generator sets are bedded on specialist mounts and surrounded by an acoustic enclosure, ensuring that the propulsion system operates at low noise levels.
To date, there are 27 companies across the maritime supply chain working with BAE Systems to deliver the Type 26 ships, including seven firms with contracts underway to manufacture key equipment for the first three ships.
The UK Government committed to buy eight of the advanced anti-submarine warfare ships in its recent Strategic Defence and Security Review. The Type 26 Global Combat Ship will be a world-class anti-submarine warfare ship and will in time replace the Type 23 frigates. Globally deployable, it will be capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group.