Migrant rescue boats to have MTU engines

Rolls-Royce will supply MTU diesel engines for six new search and rescue vessels to be built by Damen Shipyards and operated by the Turkish Coastguard.

Damen Shipyards is building the vessels under a contract from the Ankara office of the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). The European Union is providing financial support for the project.

The boats will support ongoing operations to rescue migrants and refugees from crisis areas along the Turkish coast and are designed to be self-righting, should they capsize.

Each feature will have two 8-cylinder MTU Series 2000 engines that will keep on running even in the extreme event that the vessel completes a full 360° vertical roll around its longitudinal axis. The MTU brand is part of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

The six new vessels will be built by Damen's Antalya, Turkey, shipyard with the first delivery expected in May 2017 and the remainder by the end of the year.

The vessels are designed and equipped to operate as lifeboats, and the aluminum hull is based on Damen's Axe-Bow technology.

The MTU 8V 2000 M84L engines give the boats a top speed of 33 knots for search and rescue operations.

Knut Müller, Head of the Marine and Government Business Division at MTU said: "We have designed our engines specifically for such difficult operational conditions, including the unlikely event of capsizing. They are equipped with a special kit, which ensures that there is sufficient oil available to coat the engine parts with a film of lubricant."