Rolls Royce To Build FastShip Engines

Rolls-Royce Will Supply Gas Turbines For FastShip

Revolutionary VesselsTo Be Manned By AMO

Rolls-Royce will supply the engines for the FastShip fleet.

FastShip Inc., the company planning the construction of four revolutionary high-speed containerships for trans-Atlantic service, Aug. 25 announced an agreement with Rolls-Royce plc to supply the gas turbine engines that will power the vessels.
The completion of this, another crucial element of the project, bolsters the strong foundation upon which FastShip is laying its plans. In addition to the pact with Rolls-Royce, FastShip has secured agreements with:

Interocean Ugland Management for operation and manning the vessels-American Maritime Officers will fill all licensed positions in the FastShip fleet and Seafarers International Union will fill the unlicensed positions
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company of San Diego-FastShip and NASSCO signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the containerships
Kamewa-the Swedish company signed a formal agreement to develop and supply water jets for the vessels
The Cherbourg-Cotentin Chamber of Commerce and Industry to build the dedicated cargo terminal in France
The Delaware River Port Authority to build a dedicated FastShip terminal in the U.S.
J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. to assist in obtaining funding for the newbuilds and advise on equity and debt financing
MAINCO to manage FastShip terminal operations in Cherbourg for 20 years and to install container-handling and terminal equipment at the dedicated cargo hub in France

      At an estimated cost of $220 million each, the FastShip vessels would be driven by water jets and powered by modified jet engines. The vessels would be capable of making 40 knots across the Atlantic and of completing the crossing in four days, operating between Philadelphia and Cherbourg.
      With relatively minor modifications, the FastShip vessels could be transformed into dual-use ships fitted for military sealift and for pressing humanitarian missions. With these features, the vessels could also be used in ports with limited infrastructure.
      "We are proud to be working with Rolls-Royce, a company whose reputation for excellence in design and engineering is unmatched," said Roland Bullard II, president of FastShip, of the new agreement. "It is that quality and reliability we will deliver to our own customers."
      Each FastShip vessel will be powered by five Rolls-Royce marine Trent engines, derivative of the successful Rolls-Royce Trent aero-engine and the most powerful gas turbine propulsion unit available to ship operators. Each turbine will drive one Kamewa water jet, delivering 335,000 horsepower.
      This propulsion system will enable the 860-foot vessels, carrying a 10,000-ton payload, to make the passage from Philadelphia to Cherbourg in four days and attain top speeds of up to 40 knots, according to FastShip. The hull form, coupled with the propulsion package, will enable the ship to maintain such speed even under adverse weather conditions. In port, the ships will be loaded and unloaded with a rail-based system.
      "We are delighted to be working with FastShip on this state-of-the-art project," said Bob Sunerton, Rolls-Royce's Managing Director for Marine Power.
      FastShip is creating a seven-day, door-to-door North Atlantic transportation network linking the middle of Europe to the United States. The service is made possible through use of patented technology that represents a significant leap in hull design, propulsion systems and terminal technology. Trial operations are scheduled to begin in 2002.
      Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa., FastShip will target high-value, time-sensitive goods including electronics, apparel and perishable items. The FastShip service will provide speed, reliability and frequency comparable to air freight at a cost closer to conventional ocean shipping rates.
      The FastShip vessels' huge productivity gains and the intermodal network will provide a substantial technological and competitive advantage for the U.S. maritime industry. This technological advantage is created not only by the vessels' revolutionary hull design and propulsion system, but also by FastShip's state-of-the-art intermodal terminals.
      Financing for the business, which is due to be completed later this year, already includes significant support from the U.S. Maritime Administration, financing from major equipment suppliers (including Rolls-Royce), local authorities in both Philadelphia and France for terminals, and equity funding from financial markets.

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