GE Marine to power Finnish Navy’s Pohjanmaa-class corvettes

GE Marine has received a contract from Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) for the delivery of four LM2500 marine gas turbines.

The engines will be installed on Finnish Navy’s new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes under the Squadron 2020 project.

In September last year, RMC and Saab signed contracts for the new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes.

According to the €647.6m contract, RMC is responsible for the design and construction of the four new multi-purpose corvettes.

The corvettes are designed to operate throughout the year in the Baltic Sea and can also operate independently in ice.

Weighing 3,900t, each vessel will be equipped with one GE LM2500 gas turbine that is in the Combined Diesel eLectric And Gas turbine (CODLAG) configuration.

They can operate at speeds of more than 26k.

Additionally, GE will supply a complete complement of gas turbine auxiliary systems such as electric start and water mist firefighting systems.

The gas turbines will be manufactured at its facility in Evendale, Ohio, US.

The construction of the corvettes will take place between 2022 and 2025.

The vessels are expected to be delivered by 2026 and become fully operational by 2028.

RMC CEO Jyrki Heinimaa said: “Due to the global Covid-19 situation, the contract negotiations were challenging and required additional effort and teamwork from both parties.

“RMC looks forward to working with GE and is confident that GE’s vast experience in naval gas turbine technology is a perfect fit for the Squadron 2020 project and for the Finnish Navy.”

RMC has also signed contracts with RENK for the electric drive system and the gear system and MAN Energy Solutions for the 12V 175D diesel generators.

The combined value of the three contracts is over €100m.

In April, Kongsberg Maritime signed a contract with Saab to deliver its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and diver detection sonars for the corvettes.