MAN Engines
Hybrid propulsion systems from MAN Engines can increase the comfort of passenger ships and increase their efficiency – even in the case of a 70-year-old classic vessel like the "Iris", which today transports its passengers across Lake Como with the conveniences of a modern propulsion system.
The "Iris" is a ship that has already been reborn twice: launched in 1953 and commissioned in 1954, she was retired for the first time in 1998. Two years later, the 30.75-metre-long passenger ship resumed its regular trips on Lake Como until Corona came in 2020 and caused another break. But this involuntary interruption also had its good side: it gave the Navigazione Laghi shipping company the opportunity to thoroughly renovate the classic car – and to bring its drive up to date in terms of technology and comfort.
A hybrid drive system from MAN Engines is now working inside Iris. The twin-engine system consists of a MAN D2676 LE487 in-line six-cylinder diesel engine with an output of 290 kW (394 hp) and an electric motor that can deliver 100 kW (136 hp). The modern hybrid system – the MAN Smart HYBRID Experience – automatically ensures the optimum mix of diesel and electric drive. The captain simply selects the best operating mode for his maneuver – the options are battery-electric, diesel-electric, pure diesel operation or hotel mode when anchoring – the rest is done by the technology. The passengers do not notice any of this, because the change between all operating modes takes place without any interruption in power and thus without a noticeable jerk.
Rethought, redesigned: The modern hybrid system from MAN Engines was also easy to integrate into the cramped engine compartment of Iris.
The new drive has also significantly increased comfort in other respects – especially when landing at the piers and when maneuvering, when the drive is completely taken over by the electric motor. "Thanks to the all-electric system, our passengers experience a silence that could not have been imagined before," reports Alessandro Carchen, Head of Technical Organization at the Iris operating company Gestione Governativa Navigazione Laghi. "And in hotel mode, the power supply at the landing site runs exclusively on batteries. For example, they supply electricity for the air conditioning system – without the exhaust fumes that combustion engines typically bring."
In addition to the hybrid drive, MAN Engines also supplied the entire power generation system, from the control and emission control to the battery packs and the control panels for the bridge of the Iris. There, chief captain Aurelio Cola has the helm in his hand - and is full of praise for his renewed ship. "I already drove the Iris in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the old engine, of course," he recalls. "My impression of the new Iris is absolutely positive. And our passengers experience a new way of navigating with less vibration and noise."
Satisfied head of technology: Alessandro Carchen is pleased with the extra comfort he can offer his passengers through the hybrid system.
Ship passengers will soon be able to enjoy this driving experience elsewhere, as MAN Engines will start selling the hybrid drive system in the summer of 2025. Interested parties benefit from a service from a single source – from planning to maintenance. And thanks to the modular concept, each vessel can be equipped with a tailor-made propulsion system. There is a choice of in-line six-cylinder engines as well as V8 and V12 engines, which can be coupled with 200 and 400 kW electric motors and offer numerous configuration options. The range extends from the combination of a diesel engine with 221 kilowatts and a 200 kW electric drive as the lowest output to the combination of a diesel engine with 1,471 kW and a 400 kW electric drive as the maximum.
Veteran on the Iris: Chief Captain Aurelio Cola has known the ship for decades – and is now experiencing the highlight of its history with the modernization to the hybrid system.
In order to avoid problems during commissioning and to optimize the efficiency of the drive, MAN Engines carries out extensive tests on the test bench before installation. Thanks to these realistic tests under a wide range of conditions, not only does the reliability of the system increase, but also the flexibility with regard to possible application scenarios increases, as the system can be flexibly adapted to a wide variety of requirements and conditions through simulation.
Another advantage of the hybrid system is that the combustion engines can be operated with renewable diesel in accordance with the EN15940 (Europe) and ASTM D975 (USA) standards, which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent.
Since the end of 2024, the Iris with its hybrid propulsion system has been in regular service and transports around 1,500 passengers every day, in the summer season it can be up to 2,000 – a considerable number given the relatively modest size of the ship. "We have always believed in this project, and excellent work has been done," says Captain Cola happily. "This is how a boat from the 1950s became a ship of the future – charming, time-honoured and modern and comfortable at the same time."
Further information on what the future of propulsion systems on the water looks like can be found here at Marine Hybrid System from MAN Engines | MAN Engines
Text: Christian Buck
Photos: Navigazione Laghi, Jessica Pfleiderer
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