Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Ship propulsion: Equipment and suppliers

A propeller weighing over 130 tonnes, cast in one piece

What this tab covers For each method, the main pieces of equipment, who makes them (by region) and what they are made of (bill of materials).

The main engine and propeller do the conversion; wind devices and reactors are alternatives or additions.

Diesel and dual-fuel propulsion

Two-stroke main engine2131415

Converts fuel to shaft work at low speed.

Europe (designers) Everllence, WinGD Japan and Korea HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Engine, Mitsui E&S, Kawasaki Heavy Industries China CSSC Engine, CSSC-MES Diesel, Dalian Marine Diesel, Hudong Heavy Machinery
Bill of materials
  • Bedplate, frame and crankshaft: cast and forged steel not published
  • Cylinder liners, pistons and exhaust valves: cast iron liners, steel pistons, nickel-alloy valve seats not published
  • Turbocharger: exhaust turbine driving an air compressor not published
  • Gas supply system (dual-fuel): high-pressure gas injection or low-pressure premix valves not published
Medium-speed four-stroke engine313

Drives generators or a geared propeller.

Europe Wartsila, Everllence
Bill of materials
  • Engine block and crankshaft: cast iron and forged steel not published
Fixed-pitch propeller418192021

Converts shaft torque to thrust.

Europe MMG Mecklenburger Metallguss (Germany), Kongsberg Maritime (Norway) Japan and Korea Nakashima Propeller (Japan)
Bill of materials
  • Propeller blades and hub: aluminium bronze cast in one piece; a 9.3 m container-ship propeller weighed 61 t finished, and the record is over 130 t (9.6 m, Emma Maersk, 2006) not published

Wind assistance

Rotor sail67

Spinning cylinder producing Magnus-effect thrust.

Europe Norsepower, Anemoi Marine Technologies
Bill of materials
  • Rotor: composite or steel cylinder about 35 m tall and 5 m wide not published
  • Drive motor and control system: electric motor sets spin speed to the wind not published

Nuclear propulsion

Naval pressurised-water reactor plant8

Fission heat to steam for propulsion and electricity.

United States Bechtel Plant Machinery, General Dynamics Electric Boat, HII Newport News Shipbuilding
Bill of materials
  • Reactor core: uranium fuel; design details not published not published
  • Steam generators, turbines and (Columbia class) electric drive: major components procured by Bechtel Plant Machinery as prime contractor not published

Sources

  1. Comparative analysis of the heat balance results of the selected Tier III-compliant gas-fuelled two-stroke main engines (Korlak), Combustion Engines 193(2) Polish Scientific Society of Combustion Engines, 2023
  2. New Wartsila 31 engine achieves Guinness World Records title Wartsila, 2015
  3. Design of propeller series optimizing fuel consumption and propeller efficiency (Tadros, Ventura and Guedes Soares), Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 9, 1226 MDPI, 2021
  4. Norsepower highlights Rotor Sail results at The Motorship Propulsion and Future Fuels webinar Norsepower, 2021
  5. Anemoi installs rotor sails on Vale's very large ore carrier Ship Technology, 2024
  6. The United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (2025 edition) US Department of Energy / Naval Reactors, 2025
  7. Licensees: two-stroke marine engines in production Everllence, 2026
  8. X92 IMO Tier II/Tier III engine data WinGD, 2026
  9. Engine builders WinGD, 2026
  10. Largest propeller (by weight) Guinness World Records, 2006
  11. A propeller is born: casting of the Berlin Express propeller Hapag-Lloyd, 2022
  12. Nakashima Propeller acquires Becker Marine Systems Seatrade Maritime
  13. Kongsberg Kamewa fixed pitch propeller Kongsberg Maritime, 2026