Rolls-Royce has announced that its MT30 marine gas turbines will power the Republic of Korea Navy’s next generation of Ulsan-class frigates.
The company confirmed that the MT30 has been selected for the FFX Batch IV programme, alongside controllable pitch propellers and mtu-powered diesel generator sets. According to Rolls-Royce, the first two ships in the eight-vessel Batch IV programme will be built by Hanwha Ocean, continuing a long-standing collaboration between the UK firm and South Korea’s defence sector.
The MT30, a high-performance gas turbine derived from the Rolls-Royce Trent 800 aero engine, is already in service with several navies including the US Navy, Royal Navy, and Italian Navy. South Korea first adopted the system in its Daegu-class frigates in 2018.
In a press release, Jay Lee, Rolls-Royce’s Vice President for Naval Business Development in Korea, said: “Our MT30 marine gas turbine is a reliable, efficient and proven capability… This partnership will ensure our customers can retain their military advantage through future technology insertion, without having to endure costly upgrades to legacy power generation capability.”
Rolls-Royce stated that the latest decision builds on previous integration of MT30 turbines into South Korea’s FFX Batch II and III frigates, which use a hybrid propulsion system combining the gas turbine for high-speed manoeuvres and electric motors for cruise speeds. The diesel generators, based on the mtu 12V4000 M43 engine, will again be assembled in Korea under licence by STX-Engines.
The company claims that having 20 MT30 turbines across three successive shipbuilding batches will streamline logistics, spares, and training across the fleet. It also noted ongoing collaboration with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the manufacture of the specialised turbine enclosures.
Knut Müller, Senior Vice President at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, added: “We are a long-term partner together with STX-Engines for the Korean Navy… We are proud that we are together with our colleagues supplying mission-critical components for the propulsion for the new frigate.”
“Rolls-Royce highlighted the MT30’s compatibility with future platforms, citing its use on the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers”
?? T45 uses WR-21.
Brain Fart or Typo ?.
It’ll soon get corrected I’m sure.
“Gentlemen, start your engines”.
Yeh, good point. So what are the difference between the two and why does the RN operate two gas turbine types? Is the MT30 an evolution of the WR-21?
Someone will soon be along to explain after they have taken a look at Wiki !
“Google is your friend”.
Told you.
Different sizes and Power Outputs and the WR21 was designed as part of the recuperative T45 power plant, not used by any other class of vessel. On the other hand the RR MT30 / RR MTU combination is shaping up to be the preferred choice for numerous western Navy’s power plant choice.
It pretty well sums up its capability when you see the USN using the MT30 in the Zumwalts and in a rather odd setup in the LCS1 (it’s just a really weird combo of American / Italian Diesels and a combination gear which just doesn’t work).
The list should also include Japan who have the MT30 in their Mogami Frigates and their next generation ASEV Destroyers which at 14K tons will be the largest AAW Destroyers in the western world.
Future users will be RCN (T26 River), RAN (T26 Hunter and possibly Japans FFM) and if rumours are true future Indian ships (they already make parts of the MT30 for RR).
So now for the important fact my RR shares just love RR Marine 🥳
The WR21 was a bit of a mistake, the type 45s should never have had them installed- led directly to the requirement for PIP and additional costs to the MOD budget trying to polish a turd so to speak.
MT30s are much more reliable and proven technology, fast becoming the go to engine of choice for modern warships.
Its a huge and growing sales success for RR.
WR21 of note is only fitted to the type 45 destroyers and has proven to be a poor choice of an untested gas turbine that was supposed to degrade gracefully in warm environments whilst the reality was catastrophic failure and ships dead in the water relying on emergency back up generators and needing major engineering work on the hoof to keep them running. Not sure anyone has faced serious questioning or been reprimanded for that piss poor selection of engines for the type 45s?
To be fair the gas turbine part of the WR21 system is fine. It was the combined intercoooler/recouperator that let the whole system down.
Precisely.
The recuperator/intercooler and its initial control software…..as well as cheapening the DG set and fitting two not three of them….
From what I understand the MT30 and WR21 are both developments of the RB211 / Trent series of aeroengines, but they were developed separately, they sort of branched apart. I gather WR21 was started by the US but became a multinational project when the UK and France became interested. As far as I can tell only the UK adopted it… Oops!
The turbine core developed by RR works fine, the intercooler / recuperator that were developed by Northrop Grumman were the bits that gave to trouble, I seem to remember. There was a good article(s) on Navy Lookout a couple of years ago now.
There’s an article on Wiki about the WR21.
Cheers CR
So the gas turbines are being built in the UK ?
MT30s yes, WR21- are Northrop Gruman’s bad engineering and they are responsible for the engines poor performance they are manufactured in the good old US of A
Nothing good about USA…
Very good at blowing up rockets and crashing self driving cars…. That aren’t Waymos.