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Danish maritime service company VMS Group has made an agreement to supply an additional four gensets for American expedition line Lindblad Expeditions

One year after signing the first contract for delivery of gensets comprised of GE Transportation’s marine engines, Danish VMS Group received an additional order of four GE Transportation gensets for the second vessel in Lindblad Expedition’s polar fleet.

GE Transportation, a Wabtec company’s, L250 and V250 Series Marine Diesel Engines meet stringent EPA Tier 4 and IMO Tier III emission standards without the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipment and urea-based aftertreatment. The diesel engine integrates an upgraded control system, high-pressure common rail fuel injection, two-stage turbocharging, and advanced exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The non-SCR/non-urea based in-engine emission design saves customers up to 75 percent space, while reducing the time and cost spent maintaining hardware.

The advanced engine technology offers a wide range of advantageous features including reduced emissions of NOx and soot particles without the use of urea aftertreatment and an impressive durability. VMS Group’s double resilient mounted genset design offers a significant vibration reduction.

With this new order from Lindblad Expeditions, VMS Group sustains their strong position as an efficient and reliable supplier of total marine solutions in a demanding and quality-conscious industry.

Design of gensets
The first genset order for Lindblad Expeditions has recently been delivered, while the newest order is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2020. In addition to the sale of the GE Transportation marine engines, VMS Group is responsible for the complete design of the genset, including the design of the bottom frames, the technical calculations of vibration and noise levels, as well as the mounting and commissioning on board the new expedition ship.  

The vessel, which is still unnamed, will be the tenth in the Lindblad fleet, and will be built in the Norwegian shipyard Ulstein Verft. “For many years, VMS Group has performed excellent and reliable service on our vessels. They have now shown that they are capable of delivering a complete engine solution,” says Chris Foong, Vice President of Fleet Operations at Lindblad Expeditions.

High demands on design
Both noise and vibration are significantly reduced in the new genset design from VMS Group making it an optimal choice for an expedition ship that offers an up-close encounter with wildlife, i.e. in the seas around Antarctica. 

“The requirement for reduction of noise and vibration places special demands on the design. This is where the synergy of our many competencies really comes into play, and our highly experienced engineering team have worked hard to find the most optimal solution, says Kim Rasmussen, CCO at VMS Group and continues:

“Also, the fact that this engine meets the stringent requirements for reducing NOx emissions and emissions of soot particles set by the EPA Tier 4 and IMO Tier III is an important factor for Lindblad Expeditions when choosing the GE Transportation engine”.

“We are proud to partner with VMS Group to power the Lindblad Expeditions fleet,” said Tammy Gromacki, General Manager of Marine, Stationary, and Drill at GE Transportation, a Wabtec company. “VMS Group’s development and design of these gensets is extremely impressive. The gensets are optimized in a way that minimizes both noise and vibration even more than in our standard setup, and this will clearly attract even the most demanding projects.”

Competence enhancement
For VMS Group, the order represents a significant boost in competence, as the company adds a specialization in this type of engine to their résumé. At the same time, all VMS Group’s competencies are drawn upon – ranging from sales over project planning, design and engineering services as well as the technical calculations of vibrations and noise levels to the actual assembly and installation of the new gensets.