Power and output

Container ship engine shaft power

Container ship engine shaft power is the mechanical power transmitted from a ship’s main engine to its propeller for movement through water.

Also known as: container ship propulsion power

How big is it?

60 MW of power

Defined large-engine shaft output · defined calculation
Typical recorded range: 40 MW to 80 MW.

Scale illustration of Container ship engine shaft power, calibrated to its defined large-engine shaft output measurement.
The marked defined large-engine shaft output represents 60 MW.

A little perspective

About 1.2 times the defined hotel-load power of Cruise ship hotel electrical load.

Cruise ship hotel electrical load: Cruise ship hotel electrical load is the electrical power required to operate accommodation and guest services on a cruise ship, excluding propulsion.

Linear measure
ENERGY EACH SECOND60 MW50 MW
01
Container ship engine shaft power60 MWDefined large-engine shaft output
02
Cruise ship hotel electrical load50 MWDefined hotel-load power
Power is energy per unit time: one watt is one joule per second.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +

Container ship engine shaft power

A defined 60 MW shaft-power scale for a large slow-speed container-ship diesel engine near rated output. It is mechanical output, not fuel heat input, and ships operate below rating much of the time.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked defined large-engine shaft output is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

Cruise ship hotel electrical load

A defined 50 MW electrical hotel load for a very large cruise ship, covering accommodation and guest services rather than propulsion. Vessel size, occupancy and operating conditions dominate the actual load.

Defined examples — our methodology

The marked defined hotel-load power is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.

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Why this measurement?

Why we use 60 MW

For comparison, this page uses defined large-engine shaft output. This is labelled defined calculation: an explicit comparison model rather than a claim that every example has the same value. The recorded range is 40 MW to 80 MW.

A defined 60 MW shaft-power scale for a large slow-speed container-ship diesel engine near rated output. It is mechanical output, not fuel heat input, and ships operate below rating much of the time.

The identifying illustration and the numerical comparison remain separate. How calibrated comparisons work →

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Recorded properties

Container ship engine shaft power dimensions and measurements

PropertySelected valueRecorded rangeBasis
60 MW40 MW to 80 MWdefined calculation

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Sources and method

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