OXE Diesel, the world’s first commercially available high power diesel outboard engine, has recently entered service with launch customer Marine Harvest Scotland. The world’s largest Atlantic Salmon producer accepted their first OXE Diesel unit from Proteum, the UK & Ireland distributor for OXE Diesel, for service at a salmon farm in the Hebrides.
The 200HP OXE Diesel has the highest power density of any marine diesel and offers the range and performance to operate in the extreme environments required by commercial operators.
“OXE is proving itself in our trials and has performed well. We operate in remote locations where petrol is expensive so there are significant logistical and cost advantages for us to have the option to operate diesel engines” said Colin Whitehead, Engineering Manager (South), Marine Harvest, which operates some 55 farms in Scotland.”
In addition to coastal fishing, aquaculture and ferry operations, other potential applications for OXE include survey work, emergency services, EEZ protection and other security related operations. As well as offering lower maintenance, longer service life and lower fuel consumption diesel can be safely stored on site and above ground for easy access. Petrol engines are also becoming prohibited on safety grounds in some areas, such as naval applications, where NATO’s single fuel policy to improve safety and interoperability is driving the transition to diesel.
OXE Diesel incorporates a unique self-contained belt propulsor unit (S-BPU) that eliminates the traditional high maintenance bevel gears and transfer shafts by utilising the latest belt drive technology. It uses a conventional automotive engine block adapted for marine use. Unlike most outboards OXE is mounted horizontally, which improves reliability and reduces maintenance.