Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed a collaboration agreement with Shanghai Bestway Marine Engineering Design Company, a leading marine design and research company in China.

John Paterson, Rolls-Royce president marine, and Liu Nan, chairman of the board and general manager, Bestway, represented the two companies at the signing ceremony.

The collaboration will focus upon development of innovative and environmentally friendly marine designs. Rolls-Royce and Bestway will share expertise through joint working, in order to customise existing vessel designs to better suit the Chinese and European markets respectively. These vessel types include product and chemical tankers, RoRo, RoPax, feeder containers, and multi-purpose vessels.

The two companies also plan to develop new designs to address the growing demand for environmentally friendly, energy-efficient ships, including the application of liquified natural gas (LNG) power.

John Paterson said: “This collaboration will bring innovative developments in ship design. Rolls-Royce has significant experience in designing and developing marine solutions that meet and exceed expectations in the face of increasingly stringent global environmental standards. We look forward to applying this experience to support the Chinese marine industry in addressing climate change.”

LIU Nan said: “This collaboration further deepens the partnership between two strong players in the marine industry. I look forward to introducing new and innovative ship designs that not only meet the needs of shipowners domestically and overseas, but also support our commitment to tackling climate change.”

Rolls-Royce has provided power systems to China for over four decades. In 2005, the company established its 6,000m² manufacturing facility in Nanhui industrial zone in Shanghai. The group is also developing a network of service centres in Dalian, Shanghai and Guangzhou to serve its marine customers across China.