Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to supply its fuel-efficient Promas propulsion systems for the Peruvian Navy’s new frigates, the company announced at Euro Naval 2024 in Paris.
The goal of the new agreement is to advance the Peruvian Navy’s fleet, with technology focused on reducing fuel consumption and extending range.
The new frigates, built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) and SIMA Peru, will rely on Kongsberg’s twin controllable pitch propeller systems, designed to integrate and optimise fuel use by minimising hydrodynamic losses, according to the company.
The Promas propulsion system, designed by Kongsberg’s Hydrodynamic Research Centre (HRC) in Sweden, combines the propeller, hub cap, bulb, and rudder into a single unit. The aim of the design is to achieve higher propulsive efficiency and extend the range of naval vessels.
In recent tests by Kongsberg, the Promas system showed the system reduced power consumption by 6% at 25 knots and offered higher rudder forces with less drag at low speeds, enhancing both fuel efficiency and manoeuvrability, according to the company
As Patrik Kron, Kongsberg Maritime’s Chief of Naval Systems, explained, ‘by achieving an improved efficiency of around 6%, navies can extend their range, a crucial factor for longer missions. Promas’s integrated propeller and rudder design effectively reduces power consumption at high speeds, without compromising performance.’
Designed for long-range patrols, the new Peruvian frigates are designed with 6,000 nautical miles of range, which will be supported by the fuel-saving attributes of the Promas system.
The first frigate from the programme is scheduled for delivery in 2029.
