Schottel Supplying Thrusters For Chinese Newbuild

Schottel will provide azimuth thrusters for a Chinese river cruise vessel owned by Changjiang Cruise Overseas Travel and built by China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu).

The vessel will be equipped with three Schottel twin-propeller systems. The CSC design vessel is intended for operation on the Yangtze River, the largest river in China.

The vessel will be powered by electric motors driving three twin-propeller units type STP 310 with an input power of 1000 kW each and a propeller diameter of 2.00 m. The 150 m long and 23 m wide vessel will reach an operating cruise speed of 14 knots. It will accommodate 600 guests served by 150 international crew members. The new vessel is scheduled to enter operation in September 2021.

Schottel Twin Propellers are designed for operating a vessel quietly and for applications with limited installation space, draught or propeller clearance. By sharing the load between two propellers rotating into the same direction and of the same diameter, the risk of cavitation is minimized and tip clearance is increased, the company said. Both of these characteristics, in turn, lead to low noise and vibration levels. This concept also improves the efficiency of the propulsion system and reduces fuel consumption compared to single propeller systems, Schottel said.

The Schottel Group, with its headquarters in Spay/Rhine, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steerable propulsion systems for ships and offshore applications. Founded in 1921, the company has been developing and manufacturing azimuth propulsion and complete propulsion systems with power ratings of up to 30 MW for vessels of all sizes and types.