Rolls-Royce Gas Turbines To Power S.Korea’s Daegu-class Frigates

Rolls-Royce has won a contract to supply MT30 marine gas turbines to power the next three ships in the Republic of Korea Navy’s Daegu-class frigate programme. 

The MT30 gas turbines will be featured in second, third and fourth ships. The MT30 delivery for Ships 2 and 3 are due to be delivered in the second half of 2018 and for Ship 4 very early in 2019. 

Eight Daegu-class frigates (also known as FFX Batch 2) are scheduled to be built. The first ship being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) was launched at DSME's Okpo shipyard in June 2016.  Ship 2 will also be built by DSME and Ships 3 and 4 by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) SNSD.

The frigates are intended for a variety of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-air warfare, patrol, surveillance, search and rescue, protection of EEZ, and transport. 

Don Roussinos, Rolls-Royce, President – Naval, said: “Our continued supply to this programme validates our on-going relationship with DSME and HHI. The Daegu class is an exciting programme. It is the world’s first frigate to use a single MT30 in the compact package and our first application for MT30 outside the UK and US markets. The MT30 gas turbine has been successfully installed in Ship 1 and is currently successfully supporting the commissioning of ROK Daegu’s propulsion system. We understand that MT30 has powered the ship to meet its full speed requirement.” 

The MT30 is derived from Rolls-Royce Trent aero engine technology and builds on over 45 million hours of operating experience and ultra-high reliability. It is initially built as separate modules on the same build line as the Rolls-Royce Trent aerospace engines in Derby. It is then assembled and tested at the company’s Bristol facility. 

With testing complete, the MT30 engine is shipped to Korea, where Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Engine & Machinery Division integrate it into the steel enclosure which also houses the air inlets, exhausts and ancillary equipment, prior to installation in the ship.