This aid can be additional to member state support.

The monohull EHSCV is powered by two Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines and Rolls Royce Kamewa waterjets. The baseline design enables 124 trailers to be carried at a speed of 37 knots, at which point it is economically competitive with road transport on routes above 300 miles and extending to the ship's maximum range of 750 nautical miles.

The Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbine ran successfully for the first time in Bristol UK last month and will be available for delivery from early 2004. With a power rating of 36 MW, it will be available for service in either mechanical or electrical genset applications for both commercial and naval marine markets. The MT30 has 80% commonality with the Trent 800 aero engine, which has achieved 99.9% dispatch reliability in more than two million flying hours since its launch in 1996.

The EHSCV propulsion system is to be supplied fully integrated, with auxiliary propulsion machinery including all gas turbine support systems, thrusters, stabilisers, deck machinery, and diesel engine power generation plant.

The ro-ro vessel's preliminary design will weigh in at 3,400dwt and measure 212m loa with a 22m maximum breadth and a draught of 4.7m. Two separate decks, one covered, will provide 1,700 lane metres for cargo.

Facilities are also being designed to enable rapid loading and unloading of the design in host ports. The project partners began work 18 months ago with a comprehensive study of transport logistics within the EU, where road freight transport is expected to grow by 50% to 2010.

The EHSCV provides a ship design which can help realise the Marco Polo programme's objective of freezing current levels of road congestion to 2010 through better use of transport alternatives.

MJ Information No: 17502