US Navy contracts Fairbanks Morse to provide engines for ESB 7 ship

Under the contract terms, Fairbanks Morse will supply four main propulsion diesel engines (MPDE) for ESB 7.

ESB 7 is the seventh ship set to be built for the US Navy under the Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD)/Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) programme.

General Dynamics NASSCO won a contract in August to construct the sixth and seventh ships of the EBS programme. The potential $1.63bn contract also includes an option for an addition ESB ship.

Fairbanks Morse will build the engines for the ship at its Beloit, Wisconsin manufacturing facility.

Fairbanks Morse president Deepak Navnith said: “This award brings the total to 12 engines with common rail fuel technology delivered to the US Navy for the ESB programme by Fairbanks Morse, which demonstrates their confidence in the reliability of our engines.”

The four FM | MAN 6L48/60 engines will provide a combined installed power of 25,920kW.

The engines use common rail (CR) fuel injection technology to increase efficiency and enable lower fuel emissions.

The CR system will enable fuel savings over the lifetime of the ESB ship.

It uses different equipment, including high-pressure pumps, electronic governing systems, control system, and a common high-pressure fuel header.

Navnith added: “The CR technology provides fuel savings, improved engine performance and less engine maintenance, all of which will help the ESB ships spend more time at sea.”

Last month, Fairbanks Morse won a contract to deliver engines for ESB 6.