Bella Macchina – MaK M 43 marine engines propel new “AIDAbella” towards her maiden voyage

For worldwide release, April 23, 2008

Release Number: M04PR08

Hamburg, Germany – “AIDAbella”, the second newbuilding in AIDA Cruises’ celebrated series of club ships for the German cruise market, made a stopover today in the port of Kiel three days after her delivery by Germany’s Meyer Werft. The ship is powered by four MaK 9 M 43 C marine engines in a diesel-electric configuration. So the stopover also recognises the headquarters of Caterpillar Motoren in Kiel, where this remarkable engine series was developed back in the late 1990s.

The first club ship newbuilding, “AIDAdiva”, has been in service since April last year and recently welcomed her 100,000th guest on board. The second ship, AIDAbella, will be named in Rostock, Germany, on April 23rd and then start her maiden voyage to Norway. Meanwhile, Meyer Werft has started work on newbuilding number three, “AIDAluna”, which is expected to be delivered in Spring 2009. The yard has also cut the first steel for the as yet unnamed forth newbuilding in the series due for 2010. Late last year, AIDA Cruises placed two repeat orders for slightly bigger ships for delivery in 2011/12 and also agreed with Meyer Werft to enlarge the fourth vessel to the same size.

Progressive propulsion
All six AIDA cruise ships will have the same 4x MaK 9 M 43 C engine configuration, providing a total 36,000 kW for both main propulsion and on-board electric power. They include a variety of innovative features in engine monitoring and engine control, which have been especially designed to meet the demanding requirements of the owner. Since April 2007, passengers have enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and gentle power of AIDAdiva. Resilient engine mounting and the smooth running of the MaK long-stroke design minimise disturbing vibrations. When sunbathing aft, no smoke clouds the sky thanks to advanced Flexible Camshaft Technology (FCT) below deck. And during manoeuvring in small harbours, diesel-electric propulsion ensures quick and secure docking.

This year the engine industry celebrates the 150th birthday of Rudolf Diesel and Team Caterpillar® is proud to make its own expert contribution to cutting-edge diesel technology also in an ever-growing number of cruise ship engine applications. The MaK M 43 C long-stroke medium-speed marine engine used in AIDAbella is the state-of-the-art answer to Diesel’s dream of a highly-efficient thermal engine. And it is based on 100 years of experience in the design and manufacture of marine diesel engines in Kiel, another anniversary worth celebrating.

Excellence in engineering
As early as 1908, the former Krupp Germania shipyard started building diesel engines in Kiel-Gaarden. Between 1921 and 1945 Deutsche Werke in Kiel-Friedrichsort (DWK) produced a comprehensive range of two-stroke and four-stroke engines for various marine applications. Restarting 1948, Maschinenbau Kiel (MaK) built on this tradition, and over the years, developed four generations of medium-speed engines, each of which brought with it advanced technologies, increased power density and improved engine reliability and durability. After several thousand MaK engines had been sold and a global trademark for durable marine products had been established, the company was acquired by Caterpillar Inc. in 1997 and became today’s Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG in 2000.

The MaK M 43 design was introduced in 1998, adding a powerful fourth type to the new MaK long-stroke medium-speed marine engine generation, which at that time consisted of the M 20, M 25 and M 32 diesels. Befitting its 10th anniversary, more than 800 of the 6, 7, 8, 9, 12 and 16 cylinder MaK M 43 series engines with a total power output of about 6,000 MW have been sold. In 2004, a new M 43 C version of 1,000 kW per cylinder was introduced, especially addressing cruise ship applications like AIDAbella. Today, the MaK M 43 C series is the clear market leader for container feeders of up to 1,000 TEU and is also a powerful player in the cruise and ferry market.

Customers pleased
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems’ expertise in designing integrated marine solutions, together with the proven reliability and fuel economy of the MaK M 43 C engine series, has delivered outstanding results in daily vessel operation. The AIDAbella power plant perfectly balances high performance, low emissions and good operational economics. With Meyer Werft and AIDA Cruises jointly having brought the number of orders to six ship sets of total 24 engines, the MaK 9 M 43 C of 1,000 kW per cylinder can be said to have truly proven its excellence.

Leif Gross, Sales Director Global Cruise Projects with Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, said: “AIDAdiva, AIDAbella and her sisters still to come are special, even for Caterpillar. This series symbolises our successful entry into the promising market segment of big cruise ships – with our best-performance MaK engine series! In this respect, the AIDAdiva project was the foundation on which further project deals have been laid, like those clinched meanwhile with the cruise shipping companies Holland America Line (HAL), Costa Crociere, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Cunard.

About Caterpillar Marine Power Systems
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, brings together all the sales and service activities for Cat and MaK branded marine products within Caterpillar Inc. This organization provides premier marine power solutions (high and medium speed with outputs from 11 kW to 16,000 kW) and customer service from a single source for the global ocean-going, commercial and pleasure craft markets. The Caterpillar Marine Power Systems sales and service network includes more than 2,100 dealer locations world-wide and is well positioned to support customers wherever they are.

More information is available at www.cat-marine.com or www.mak-global.com.

About Caterpillar
For more than 80 years, Caterpillar Inc. has been making progress possible and driving positive and sustainable change on every continent. With 2006 sales and revenues of $41.517 billion, Caterpillar is a technology leader and the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, clean diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines.

More information is available at www.cat.com.

CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow” and the POWER EDGE trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

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