The machine room module for the world’s first LNG cruise ship left the Meyer Group’s Neptun shipyard on 25th September.This was the first of two ‘AIDAnova’ modules to leave Rostock for Papenburg. The first of two modules is carrying the four Caterpillar dual-fuel engines.
‘AIDAnova’ will be the world’s first cruise ship, which, starting in the Autumn of 2018, will be able to operate in ports and at sea on LNG.
Being towed by tugs, the 120 m long and 42 m wide, three deck high machine room module, also called floating engine room units (FERU), will, depending upon weather conditions, need four days to reach the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.
The module was due to reach the North Sea (Kiel) Canal in the early morning of 26th September, 2017. From Borkum, it will sail towards Emden, with an expected arrival time of 27th September, 2017.
The last part of the journey continues via the river Ems, between Emden and Papenburg, where the module will arrive during the evening of 28th September, 2017.The second ‘AIDAnova’ module, having the same dimensions, is currently under construction at the Neptun shipyard. The four decks high floating module carrying the three LNG tanks, is scheduled to leave the Neptun Yard towards the end of November, 2017.
Two of the tanks have a length of almost 35 me, a diameter of around 8 m and a capacity of 1,500 cu m each. Another tank has a length of 28 m, a diameter of around 5 m and a capacity of 550 cu m. The total volume of the three LNG tanks amounts to 3,550 cu m.More than 500 shipyard workers and 500 external employees from other service providers are currently employed at the Neptun shipyard on this project. In addition, there are 120 Caterpillar employees assembling the engines.
