MHI Taking Over MET Turbocharger Production From MHPS

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME), will take over production of MET turbochargers from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Ltd. (MHPS), which until now has manufactured them on MHI-MME’s behalf.

The shift, which begins in January 2020, is part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group’s consolidation of its manufacturing bases. MHI-MME is a part of MHI.

MHI Group’s consolidation of its manufacturing bases. By relocating the MET turbochargers’ production plant from Saiwaimachi to Akunouramachi—both in Nagasaki City—the MET turbochargers’ production function will be absorbed by MHI-MME. As a result, MHI-MME will become responsible for all related processes, from product development to manufacture and after-sale servicing. With this new business format in place, the company said it will pursue business expansion through more focused marketing and enhanced customer satisfaction.

MHI-MME was launched in October 2013 as a wholly-owned MHI Group company. To date, its functions have encompassed the development, design, sale, after-sale servicing and licensing of marine diesel engines, marine boilers and turbines, turbochargers, marine auxiliary machinery and steering gear. The company has also handled the marketing of marine machinery and related equipment designed and manufactured within MHI Group. Until now, MHI-MME has exclusively performed development, design, sales and servicing functions; manufacturing has been delegated to other MHI Group affiliates.

With the upcoming shift of MET turbocharger production from MHPS to MHI-MME, a new factory will be completed this December on the premises of MHPS’s turbine plant. Production-related equipment and personnel will be transferred to the new location, and new sections in charge of production and production control will be newly created in-house.

MET turbochargers were initially launched in the 1960s as a differentiation technology of MHI Group responding to calls for higher engine output and greater efficiency. In a MET turbocharger, engine exhaust gas is recovered by a turbine and used to drive a compressor, forcing combustion air to be fed to the engine. Through the years, proprietary innovations have been continually made to this system, resulting in ongoing improvements to the lineup. MET Turbochargers are used in large marine and stationary engines.

Following the factory relocation and switch to internal production of the MET turbochargers, MHI-MME said it will further improve their performance and reduce their size and weight. In addition, the company will focus on expanding sales of turbochargers for both two- and four-stroke engines, and also dedicate its resources to developing the global market.