New Tier 4 Marine Engine From Mitsubishi

Prospective operators of smaller-horsepower Tier 4-compliant towing vessels now have another engine option, following the September 1 announcement from Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine America (MTEA) introducing Mitsubishi’s new 1,260 hp., mechanical-controlled EPA Tier 4 marine engine.

The Mitsubishi S12R Tier 4 is a 49-liter, 12-cylinder marine propulsion engine that provides 1,260 hp. at 1,600 rpm. With simple mechanical controls and a large displacement, the Mitsubishi S12R-Y4 engine uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR), also called scrubbers, to meet the NOx emission requirements of Tier 4.

According to MTEA, the Mitsubishi S12R-Y4 engine is EPA Tier 4 certified and available for order.

Mitsubishi marine engines have gone against the industry trend toward electronic controls for more than a decade. The company’s marine engine manager, Takeshi Yoshida, said it was 2007, when most engine manufacturers were moving to complex electronic engines, that Mitsubishi opted for a series of mechanical engines to meet Tier 2 regulations.

“It was remarkable that Mitsubishi met Tier 2 with a simple mechanical engine,” Yoshida said. “But when the company was able to introduce a series of Tier 3 EPA-certified engines, also without the introduction of electronic controls, we all said, ‘Well, Mitsubishi has done it again.’”

The new Tier 4 Mitsubishi S12R-Y4MPTAW-3 engine continues that commitment to simple mechanical controls, while adding scrubbers for the enhanced emission reduction of Tier 4.

For more information on the new Mitsubishi engine, contacts include Rodrigo Teixeira, marine director at MTEA; Laborde Products for operators on the inland waterways, Gulf of Mexico and the East Coast; and Cascade Engine Center for West Coast applications.

MTEA is the distributor of Mitsubishi marine engines in the Americas, including Canada, the United States, Mexico and the countries of Central and South America. MTEA is part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine Turbocharger LTD, a Tokyo-based division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Mitsubishi has been designing and building engines for the maritime industry for more than 70 years.

Caption for photo: Mitsubishi’s new S12TR Tier 4 engine provides 1,260 hp. at 1,600 rpm.