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Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has announced the development of the MaK™ M 34 DF, a new marine dual fuel engine platform for the commercial marine industry.

The M 34 DF dual fuel engine boasts a power rating of 500 kW per cylinder at 720 and 750 rpm in diesel and gas modes, and will share the same footprint as the M 32 C engine series.

The M 34 DF will be capable of running on natural gas as an alternative to marine diesel oil or large and complex scrubber installations for Emission Control Areas (ECA) operation as of 2015. First engine deliveries are foreseen for October 2014.

"We’re pleased to continue to deliver on our commitment to bring innovative, efficient solutions to the commercial marine market," said Carsten Seeburg, MaK product definition manager. "Our customers want a fuel-efficient, sustainable propulsion product with operational flexibility for both IMO and EPA regulated waters and we’re aiming to exceed their expectations with the M 34 DF engine."

Driven by upcoming fuel sulphur and NOx regulations in ECAs, the M 34 DF is claimed to provide full flexibility for vessels operating in regulated and/or lesser regulated areas without major changes to the engine room or exhaust gas system, supporting the ease and simplicity of engine installation and certification.

The M 34 DF is designed for unlimited operation on LNG, marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, and according to Caterpillar, it reaches 'industry-leading efficiency' in gas mode.

"It was important for us that M 34 DF and M 32 C share the same footprint features, and the same system interfaces. The M 34 DF was designed to provide operators with industry-leading thermal efficiency for lowest total cost of operation," said Detlef Kirste, MaK product definition manager. "The engine offers optimized load response and load stability in addition to numerous support features, such as remote monitoring and engine system diagnostics, helping engine operators with their daily service and maintenance work. Our target was to keep the typical MaK marine engine attributes like reliability, safety and efficiency while striving for an engine design that is easy to service and maintain."

With a bore of 340 millimetres and stroke of 460, the engine was designed to be the preferred choice for gas electrical and mechanical propulsion applications notably in the offshore and cargo segments. The engine design features new real-time combustion monitoring, Flexible Camshaft Technology functionality as well as a lower valve train and several innovative monitoring and component solutions to ensure maximum safety during operation.

Caterpillar will offer service and support for the new MaK dual fuel engine, including installation and application, system integration support, as well as customer and crew training.

The M 34 DF will be sold through Caterpillar’s MaK dealer network.