Italian Navy picks Rolls-Royce gas turbine for its new landing helicopter deck vessel

British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce signed a contract with Fincantieri to provide MT30 gas turbines to power the Italian Navy’s new multi-purpose amphibious vessel.

Two MT30 gas turbines will power the new 20,000 tonne displacement Landing Helicopter Deck (LHD) multi-purpose amphibious vessel, the second-largest in the Italian Navy.

The ship will be built by Fincantieri under the Legge Navale ‘Naval Law’ – a major investment programme to renew the Italian naval fleet.

It has been said that the new ship would be approximately 200 meters long with a maximum speed of 25 knots. Equipped with a combined diesel and gas turbine plant, it will be able to accommodate more than 1,000 people on board.

Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President – Naval, said: “We’re delighted the MT30, the most powerful marine gas turbine in operation today, has been selected for this prestigious ship. We are also very pleased that the MT30 has penetrated another new market, which is indicative of the confidence placed in the engine’s design and performance by Fincantieri.”

This presents a landmark event for rolls-Royce as this is only the third foreign naval contract the British company has landed. While the MT30 turbines are featured on Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers and the new, yet to be built, Type 26 frigates, the only foreign engine contract came from the U.S. where the Navy fitted MT30 engines on its Freedom-class littoral combat ships and the Zumwalt-class destroyer. The engine is also featured on Republic of Korea Navy’s new FFX-II Incheon class frigates.

“We’re extremely proud that our MT30 will be powering the new Landing Helicopter Deck and look forward to working with Fincantieri and the Italian Navy on this programme,” Roussinos added.

The MT30 is derived from Rolls-Royce aero engine technology and is, as Rolls-Royce said: “the world’s most powerful marine gas turbine and has the highest power density – a key factor in naval propulsion where delivering a high power output in a compact space is essential.”