Concordia Maritime, Total and MAN Diesel in joint Energy Savings

Concordia Maritime, Total and MAN Diesel in joint Energy Savings

Concordia Maritime and French energy company Total have jointly taken the
decision to install MAN Diesel turbochargers with the company's new VTA variable
turbine area technology aboard a new tanker. The turbochargers with VTA
technology will equip the MAN B&W brand low speed engines aboard the new P-MAX
tanker Stena Progress, which will be delivered June 2009. On the basis of
earlier trials, they are expected to reduce fuel consumption by around 2-3% with
parallel reductions in exhaust emissions.

“We are always interested in new energy saving technologies,” noted Hans Norén,
President, Concordia Maritime. ”When approached by MAN Diesel about employing
VTA we decided right away that this was something we wanted to participate in.
It has been tested onboard our ship Stena President with very positive results
and, as a consequence, we and our customer Total have decided to install VTA
turbochargers onboard the Stena Progress.”

Stena Progress is a 65,200 DWT shallow draught ice class tanker of the P-MAX
type under construction for Concordia Maritime at the Brodosplit shipyard in
Split, Croatia. It is due for delivery in June 2009 and will be chartered to
Total for 5 years. MAN Diesel type TCA55V turbochargers - the ”V” suffix denotes
the inclusion of variable turbine area technology - will be used on the two MAN
B&W brand six cylinder type 6S46MC-C low speed main engines aboard the Stena
Progress and other P-MAXs. As stated, field testing was carried out onboard the
Stena President and MAN Diesel reports that the results of the trials have
exceeded expectations, leading Concordia Maritime to the decision to equip the
engines of other P-MAXs with VTA turbochargers. All the parties involved with
the operation of the ships - Owner Concordia Maritime, Commercial Manager Stena
Bulk and Total on the Charterer side - have expressed their enthusiasm for both
the reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions of the ships with VTA
turbocharging. 

“These tankers' routes include arctic waters, which means varying ice conditions
and thus highly variable load profiles,” stated Jacob Norrby, Naval Architect,
at Stena Teknik. “By allowing charge air delivery to be optimised at all engine
loads, the TCA55V turbochargers give the engines better response to load
changes, improved emissions at part load and, most importantly, the 2 to 3%
reduction in fuel consumption. So as well as low noxious emissions, we are also
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.” 

Background Information: MAN Diesel VTA Technology 

In turbochargers with VTA technology, fixed vane nozzle rings are substituted by
nozzle rings with adjustable vanes. Under electronic control, vane pitch is
adjusted to regulate the pressure of the exhaust gases on the turbocharger
turbine and so vary the output of the turbocharger compressor. The quantity of
charge air entering the cylinder can be more precisely matched to the quantity
of fuel injected, allowing combustion to be optimized over the complete engine
operating profile. According to turbocharger type, VTA technology can also be
retrofitted to turbochargers already in service.


Concordia Maritime is an international tanker shipping company listed on the OMX
Nordic Exchange in Stockholm. The company has ordered ten tankers, which are
being built in accordance with the MAX concept. These vessels, P-MAX, are
product tankers of about 65,200 dwt. The MAX concept means that the vessels are
designed for maximum loading capacity in shallow waters. They have been designed
according to a new concept for safer oil transportation with double main engines
in two completely separate engine rooms, double rudders and steering gear, two
propellers and double control systems. www.concordia-maritime.se