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GE Marine, a unit of GE Transportation, has announced that the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has type approved its new L250 engine family for ABS-classed vessel applications, which the company says is able to provide fuel savings to customers.

Introduced in September 2008, the L250 engine is US EPA Tier II certified and is said to offer average fuel savings of 9 percent when compared to the previous generation of marine engines.

“The ABS certification of the design of our new L250 engine is a milestone for GE Marine,” said John Manison, Business Leader of GE Marine. “The L250 will give our customers the opportunity to upgrade their fleets with seaworthy power that is the standard for fuel efficiency and emissions reductions.”

GE’s new L250 inline engine offers a streamlined design that is said to deliver continuous power from 1498 to 2330 kilowatts (kW). The L250 is specifically engineered for marine applications with its accessories mounted on the engine for ease of maintenance and a turbocharger that is mountable on either end of the engine for ease of installation.

Available in six- and eight-cylinder models, the engine also offers a simple re-power solution as its narrow inline footprint accommodates marine engine room constraints where space is at a premium. The footprint of the L250 is similar to competitive engines allowing minimum design change.

A multimillion-dollar investment, GE’s L250 engine has been tested at GE Transportation’s headquarter facility in Erie, Penn. The engines will be produced at the company’s state-of-the-art diesel engine manufacturing plant in Grove City, Penn.

GE designed the L250 engine based on its V250 engine platform, leveraging the same camshafts, fuel system, power assemblies, exhaust manifold, bearings, and turbocharger.

"With flexible installation and maintenance options, proven parts performance and support from GE’s worldwide distribution network, the L250 offers customers reliability and limited downtime," the company said.