WHY THE LOW-SPEED DIESEL IS NO. 1.

The delivery last year of the Japanese LNG carrier Wakaba Maru severed the fingertip connection of steam power with the merchant ship newbuilding propulsion market. Whether fuel is cheap or expensive, diesel enginebuilders expect their designs to retain supremacy deep into the next century. This review examines the significant commercial and technical developments which have intensified the propulsion battle between low speed and medium speed diesel engine designs.