Cat Twin Fin Wins Innovation Award

(L-R): Mattias Hansson, Naval Architect/Sales Manager, Caterpillar Propulsion Sweden AB, Jörgen Karlsson, Managing Director, Caterpillar Propulsion Sweden AB, James Johnson, General Manager, Caterpillar Propulsion, Award presenter Marcel Van De Kreke, Head of Sales & Marketing, Damen Shipyards Sharjah, and Christopher Hayman, Chairman, Seatrade. 

The Caterpillar Propulsion twin fin system has won the Technical Innovation prize at the Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa, Dubai – one of the highlights of Dubai Maritime Week 2014. 

Focusing on the first commercial installation of the Cat® Propulsion twin fin system, onboard the Polarcus DMCC vessel Polarcus Naila, Caterpillar convinced an independent judging panel that the solution lives up to fuel and emissions savings claims made for it, while also improving performance and reliability. 

The Cat® Propulsion twin fin system comprises a compact electric motor and gearbox connected via short drive shaft, rotating a pair of controllable pitch propellers whose performance is enhanced by two tailor-made fins. The hydro-dynamically-optimized fins protect and give inboard access to mechanical parts, while also saving cargo space and enhancing maneuverability. 

Jim Johnson, General Manager Caterpillar Propulsion, who accepted the Technical Innovation Award, said: “When Polarcus needed to replace an inefficient propulsion system on two survey vessels, we had every confidence in twin fin. What we could not know was that its benefits would be so quickly recognized across the industry. Receiving this Award in such distinguished company is a magnificent accolade.

“We were also delighted that the rigor of the independent judging panel gave us the opportunity to document how Polarcus Naila overcame its reliability problems, improved fuel efficiency by 30% and increased bollard pull thrust. In terms of customer satisfaction, the fact that Polarcus quickly gave the go ahead to retrofit a second vessel speaks for itself.” 

Over 750 maritime and shipping personalities gathered at the Awards gala dinner and ceremony on October 27th at Atlantis, The Palm to celebrate excellence in all spheres of maritime activity across the region.

Chosen based on a set of fair and transparent criteria, the Technical Innovation Award honors advances in maritime technology, and especially those that are shown to have made an exceptional contribution to the maritime and shipping industry across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa.