Volvo Penta contributes to cleaner world exhibition
As a result of the best environmental features, Volvo Penta has been appointed official supplier of diesel engines to 22 passenger ferries being built for the World Expo in Shanghai, China next year. Efficient marine transports are a key component of the organizer’s ambitions to live up to the World Expo’s “Better city, better life” theme.
“This is a prestigious order for Volvo Penta and a confirmation of our exceptionally strong environmental image in China. Volvo Penta’s engines achieve considerable environmental advantages and this is exactly what the organizers were looking for,” says Giorgio Paris, Head of Volvo Penta in Asia. A substantial share of the marine transports will be handled by 22 new ferries, each of which has a 500-passenger capacity. These ferries will transport hundreds of thousands of passengers along the Huangpu River during the five months of the World Expo. The first four of these ferries were recently launched in Shanghai in the presence of representatives of the World Expo and the shipyard that built the ferries, Xidu Shipyard of Shanghai J.Y.
The 2010 World Expo is expected to attract millions of visitors to Shanghai from May to October next year and imposed extremely high environmental demands in conjunction with the evaluation of the engines that will power the new passenger ferries. The 7-liter D7C TA Volvo Penta engine was selected among fierce competition. Each ferry is equipped with two Volvo Penta D7 diesel engines and will have a cruising speed of about 8 knots. The engines not only contribute to reducing the environmental impact but also to improved performance and enhanced comfort onboard.
At the conclusion of the World Expo, the 22 passenger ferries will be deployed as part of the City of Shanghai’s regular public transportation system on the Huangpu River.