A engine manufacturer in Essex has created new jobs and extended its apprenticeship programme after winning a £39million contract with a shipbuilder in Taiwan.

MAN Diesel & Turbo UK, based in Colchester, is to supply 60 of its high-speed 12 cylinder VP185 diesel engines to the Ching Fu Shipbuilding Company, for installation in 28 fast patrol vessels for the Taiwanese coastguard service.

Each vessel will be fitted with two of the 3,640bhp diesel engines, which are the size of a people carrier car and weigh in at 8.3 tonnes each, with the order also including four spare units.

The engines will be supplied over a six-year period with the first two due for delivery this month. As a result of the contract, the company has hired six additional fitters and two new apprentices at the Colchester plant.

Phil Channon, technical sales manager of MAN Diesel & Turbo UK, said: “Our apprenticeship programme is designed to find and nurture young engineering talent.

“This project has given the programme a fantastic boost and given our younger team members the confidence that they can grow their future careers, working on similar long term projects.”

The contract was secured against rigorous competition in co-operation with MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Singapore office.

MAN Diesel & Turbo is the world market leader for large diesel engines for use in ships and power stations. It employs 265 people in the UK, 150 of based at its head office in Stockport and the rest at other sites including Colchester.

The Colchester facility has a long history of producing high-specification engines, which have also been used in luxury yachts and high speed trains.