Launching Adventure: PPG Provides National Geographic Expedition Vessels with MTU engines
The wilderness is waiting out there, and the National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions’ tour vessels are designed to take passengers into the wild to experience adventure first-hand.
The National Geographic tour vessels give adventure-seekers the opportunity to journey alongside wildlife experts and photographers to fascinating destinations across the globe. From the Islands of the Galapagos to the northern reaches of Alaska, these vessels experience diverse weather and sea conditions – which means that they depend on reliable engines and even more reliable support from Pacific Power Group to help make these adventures a memorable success.
After years of providing support services to the National Geographic vessels, PPG will now power two new 100-passenger expedition vessels that are being built by Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. PPG will provide two fuel efficient MTU 12-cylinder Series 4000 M54 engines to each of the vessels which are designed to minimize environmental impact – which is crucial for tours that visit unspoiled territories such as the Antarctic. Each engine provides 1600 hp at 1800 rpm, and is supplied with a resilient mount system that isolates vibration from the vessel in order to lower noise levels.
PPG has supported three National Geographic vessels with both onboard maintenance and engine repowering with MTU engines in the past. National Geographic has relied on PPG’s engineering and service expertise since 2001 and MTU’s 1,200+ service centers worldwide to provide continued service and support on its journeys throughout the globe. In the past, Pacific Power Group has serviced National Geographic Lindblad vessels as far south as Venezuela and as far north as Alaska, providing the service and support they need regardless of their location. With MTU engines’ legendary reliability and planned maintenance, Lindblad has a 99% probability of no unplanned downtime.
For Lindblad, the personalized engine solution and continued support from the PPG sales, engineering and service teams are key to ensuring that National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions passengers enjoy the pristine wilderness and unforgettable sites that await aboard their expedition vessels.