mtu - Market Leader for Fast Marine Engines

• More than 50 percent of all fast passenger ferries with mtu engines
• Market Leader for Specialized Military Vessels
• Every second new patrol boat is fitted with an mtu power unit
• Well over half the world's mega yachts are powered by mtu engines

High-speed ferries, navy vessels, patrol boats and yachts - all need engines that offer high performance and reliability. mtu engines are the first choice for all fast vessels with high performance propulsion systems.

High power density, advanced technology, reliability and expert back-up are the most important criteria to shipbuilders looking for power units for high-speed craft. mtu has been building high-tech engines for many decades and the company's level of experience and expertise in that area is accordingly high. Shipbuilders and operators are drawing on that depth of knowledge with ever greater frequency. That fact is reflected in the large market shares enjoyed by mtu in the marine sectors. In many of those areas, mtu is the market leader, and in some is responsible for over 50 percent of the market volume. mtu has a long tradition of supplying specialized engines for high-speed boats. As long ago as the 1930s, boats powered by Maybach engines (mtu’s predecessor company) reached speeds of over 54 knots (100 km/h).

Passenger Ferries: More than 50 per cent are mtu-powered.

mtu is also very well represented in the market for fast commercial vessels. In the high-speed passenger and car ferries sector, mtu is the clear market leader with a share of over 50 per cent. In the power output range between 1,000 and 3,000 kW (1,300 to 4,000 bhp) per engine the mtu brand is the clear market leader with a share of nearly 80 percent (2002). Vessels in this category generally have propulsion systems consisting of two, three or four engines, so that the overall power outputs can range from 2,000 to 12,000 kW (2,700 – 16,000 bhp).

The Series 2000 and Series 4000 engines are very popular. 100 of them were sold for installation in passenger ferries in 2003. Having the benefit of common-rail fuel injection, the Series 4000 models are particularly economical. This technology allows the fuel consumption and the emission levels – both very important considerations for ferry operators – to be kept very low.

In the sector covering the power output from 500 to 1,000 kW (700 – 1,300 bhp), mtu caught 50 percent of the market, while over 3,000 kW (4,000 bhp), mtu engines at present occupy the second position. In the highest power bracket spanning power outputs from 8,200 to 9,000 kW (11,100 – 12,200 bhp) – the large car ferries market in other words – an improvement in the market position can be expected as, with the arrival of the Series 8000, mtu has an engine that sets new standards in terms of innovative technology and consequent economy. Although business in vessels of this size (70 to 100 meters) is not particularly brisk at present, mtu is nevertheless expecting positive developments. One sign of this is the sale of 40 Series 8000 units since the launch of the model at the end of 2000.

Patrol Boats: Clear Market Leader.

In the patrol boats market, mtu engines make up 51 percent of the current market volume (2002). The remaining 49 percent are shared by three competitors. More so than any other type of vessel, these craft, which can travel at speeds of up to 70 knots (130 km/h), need power units that are not only extremely powerful but also light and compact, because that is the only way they can achieve the high speeds demanded.

The most important region for this type of high-performance craft is currently Asia and Australia. 80 to 90 new patrol boats enter service every year in this area.

Excellent position with specialized Military Vessels

Specialized military vessels such as frigates, corvettes and submarines often require very complex propulsion systems. One out of every two of the diesel or combined diesel-and-gas-turbine powered craft has a propulsion system supplied by mtu. This is where mtu's system engineering expertise comes into its own because it enables the company to offer diesel engines, gas turbines, transmissions and other propulsion system components from a single source and to combine them into an integrated whole.

No less sophisticated are the power systems for minesweepers and submarines. mtu has occupied an outstanding position in this sector for many years and currently holds nearly 50 percent of the overall market. Only a few manufacturers are capable of providing products that meet the technical demands placed on submarine engines. Not only do they have to be absolutely reliable, they must also be small and light, but also very powerful. Their fuel consumption also has to be as low as possible, because every gram of fuel saved means extra distance added to the vessel's range. mtu engines not only meet those criteria, they also have a series of other qualities that make them the perfect choice for submarines. Those include highly sophisticated sound insulation and vibration damping systems, and a proven engine concept based not on custom designs but on production units.

Large Yachts: 56 Percent Market Share.

The mtu brand is particularly strong in the yachts market. In the megayachts sector with a length of 80 feet (about 25 meters) and over, 56 percent of all new boats ordered last year were fitted with mtu engines, most of them the Series 2000 and Series 4000 models. The clear leader is the 1,470-kW (2,000-bhp) 16V 2000, which secured nearly a 90 percent market share in its class in 2003. More than 800 mtu yacht engines were sold in 2003 – a clear indication of the excellent reputation enjoyed by mtu in the yacht business.