MDT Celebrates Sale of 60,000th Turbocharger

MAN Diesel & Turbo marked the sale of its 60,000th turbocharger after 80 years of turbocharger business, during the Marintec 2015 marine trade fair in Shanghai, by making a presentation to turbocharger customer, China Merchants Energy Shipping Co. Ltd. (CMES). The milestone has been reached with the (coming) delivery of 2 × TCA66-21 turbochargers, bound for an MAN Diesel & Turbo MAN B&W 7G80ME-C9 two-stroke engine powering a VLCC.

The ceremony took place at the MAN stand at the trade fair where MAN Diesel & Turbo’s CEODr. Uwe Lauber, presented representatives from CMES with tokens of the company’s appreciation

At the presentation, Lauber said: “Understanding markets starts by listening to the customer. We have enjoyed an outstanding cooperation with CMES over many years, and are delighted to be able to celebrate this milestone with such a valued partner.”

He continued: “Over the last two decades, the level of shipbuilding activity in China has increased dramatically and China is of vital strategic importance for our Turbocharger Business. MAN Diesel & Turbo is one of the leading turbocharger suppliers for marine diesel-engine manufacturers in China and, with our localization strategy in the shape of our facility in Changzhou, we are able to support our European production, shorten delivery times and cut transportation costs for the benefit of our Chinese customers.”

CMES President Capt. Xie Chunlin, accepted a commemorative certificate and ornamental turbocharger turbine-blade on behalf of his company. Also present during the ceremony were representatives from Hoi Tung Marine Suppliers, MAN Turbocharger business partners in the Chinese market and representatives from CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd.

Earlier this year, Associated Maritime Co. (Hong Kong) Ltd. (AMCL), the management company of China Merchants Energy Shipping Co., Ltd. also took the opportunity to sign a premium maintenance contract with MAN Diesel & Turbo covering the service of 36 MAN turbochargers with effect from the start of 2016.

The TCA series

Also speaking at the Marintec ceremony, Dirk Balthasar – Head of Global Turbocharger Sales and Promotion – MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “Through continuous development, TCA turbochargers have become the most reliable and proven series in the market. Since its initial introduction, the TCA has improved and undergone several technological developments, and the product we deliver today bears all the benefits of these.”

Balthasar added: “Just to name one of them, we have re-designed the TCA’s bearings to increase their overall lifetime. As a result, we were able to announce last year that bearing inspections are no longer required until the first main overhaul. The direct benefit for customers is savings in both time and money. Going from dry-dock to dry-dock without any intermediate inspection is now a reality.”

The VLCC will be delivered in 2016 from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and China Merchant Energy Shipping decided to source the engine and turbochargers from the same manufacturer. The CSSC-MES Diesel (CMD)-built MAN B&W 7G80ME-C9.2 main engine is part-load optimized with exhaust-gas bypass tuning and integrated with the two MAN TCA66 turbochargers.

Turbocharger no. 60,000, with serial number 7037348, was assembled at the MAN Turbocharger factory in Changzhou where most Chinese turbocharger components are localized. Core components, such as bearings and rotors, are produced at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s German facilities.

The MAN TCA Turbocharger series was introduced to the market in 2003 and has more than 7,000 references. Globally, TCA turbochargers are mainly employed in two-stroke applications, but also have multiple four-stroke references.