The first STX Man B&W 6S40ME-B engine - being also the first ME-B engine worldwide – was successfully tested from 10.12.2007 to 12.12.2007 at the test bed of STX Heavy Industries
Co.,Ltd Changwon / Korea. The tests were witnessed by representatives of GL, ABS, LR, BV, RINA, DNV, NK, RR, CR, KR and CCS and also by New Building Manager of Intership Navigation Co., Ltd, Mr. Uwe Kowalewski together with New Building Supervisors Mr. Janusz Florczuk and Mr. Jimmy Yang and a delegation from Shandong Huanghai Shipyard Co., Ltd Shidao / China, led by Vice President Mr. Zhao Jian Ping.
During the comprehensive combined shop test/type approval test of the S40ME-B engine as well as of the ME-B concept in general, the designers and engineers of Man B&W and of the licensee STX Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. delivered an impressive performance and top presentation of the engine as a product of high end engineering and workmanship. STX invited to a start-up ceremony for the first ME-B engine and a cake was jointly cut by Executive Vice President of STX, Mr. Ki-Yeon Lee, Mr. Thomas Knudsen, Senior Vice President and Director of Research & Development of Man B&W and Mr. Uwe Kowalewski, as a symbolic act for the successful introduction and launching of a new engine generation.
The ME-B engine features besides all advantages of the ME-engine, such as most economic and environment-friendly operation at any load, a more simplified design and arrangement of hydraulics and electronics compared to the ME-engine.
The engine is destined for the first of six 25.000 DWT Multi-purpose Carriers, to be built in 2008 / 2009 for Intership Navigation Co., Ltd. by Shandong Huanghai Shipyard Co., Ltd China.