Page 38: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 2022)

TECH FEATURE GEARS

All photos courtesy Reintjes

Fair enough. As the maritime industry is pressed to reduce its emissions, this includes emerging variety of fuel choices, power sources, and hybrid drives. How has this impacted Reintjes?

At Reintjes we also want to ride the wave of decarbonization, and currently, 80% of the inquiries we get from our customers – shipyards and owners – are regarding hybrid. The actual contracts tell a different story, but the inquiries are there. We are putting a lot of money in R&D to develop a compact hybrid system, if not a com- plete all electric system.

(So there may be a time when) there is no diesel engine, instead a big electric motor driving a shaft; or we have a splitter gear box with two, three or even four electric motors driving the shaft, which gives a bit more redundancy, (and is lighter while consuming less space).

We are working closely with the engine manufacturers, because as they move from heavy fuels, the torque and the revolutions of the engines will change. We, as a gear- box manufacturer, must adapt.

Reading the news, some people seem to think the decarbon- ization process is simple and quick.

If it would be quick and easy, we would have done it already.

Can you discuss how Reintjes is investing in its manufacturing, its product and its people?

We have come through some rough times since I took the helm. But during the last two years we were in the position to invest big time into machines, into people and also into IT. IT security is (increasingly) taking a big portion of our investment budget. 38 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • April 2022

MR #4 (34-49).indd 38 4/5/2022 11:02:32 AM