MAN PrimeServ EMC makes breakthrough
MARITIME INDUSTRY: Nakilat’s wholly owned fleet of LNG ships is now covered by MAN PrimeServ, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s after-sales division, after an EMC maintenance agreement signed with Stasco, the shipping division of Royal Dutch Shell, which manages the Nakilat ships.
“MAN PrimeServ has introduced the Engine Management Concept (EMC) with the primary objective of optimising engine life-cycle costs. The EMC replaces that part of a ship owner’s technical management related to MAN Diesel & Turbo products with PrimeServ operating in a close partnership with the ship owner”, says Michael Petersen, head of EMC Copenhagen.
The agreement covers, for a period of 10 years, maintenance management/planning, assistance from PrimeServ superintendent engineers and fitters, as well as spare-parts for 25 LNG carriers (14 Q-Max and 11 Q-Flex). Each LNG carrier is equipped with two type MAN B&W 7S70ME-C or 6S70ME-C main-engines, and four type 9L32/40 or 8L32/40 auxiliary engines, and turbochargers. The engines power a new fleet of LNG carriers delivered to Nakilat between October 2008 and August 2010.
For the purposes of the EMC agreement, the partners have entered an agreement with the Nakilat - Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) yard for some of the supporting services, such as the supply of fitters and the handling of specific overhaul tasks. N-KOM is situated in Ras Laffan, Qatar’s main site for LNG production and one of the largest LNG export facilities in the world.
The LNG fleet will call regularly to Ras Laffan where MAN PrimeServ, in a joint venture with Qatar Navigation, is currently in the process of establishing a 6,000m2 service centre that will serve EMC vessels as well as other ships visiting Qatar. The service centre is located close to N-KOM and will specialise in fuel equipment, turbochargers, governors and all kind of overhauls as well as retrofits.
The Engine Management Concept is less a contract and more a partnership with much emphasis placed on building a long-term relationship with customers. Essentially, the EMC fixes customers’ maintenance costs at a set level, normally a steady monthly outlay that facilitates the advance setting of budgets with any excessive maintenance costs covered by MAN Diesel & Turbo.
Source: MAN Diesel & Turbo
