Bergen Engines

Bergen Engines is a Norwegian manufacturer of medium-speed reciprocating diesel and gas engines headquartered in Bergen. Its products are used primarily in marine propulsion, marine auxiliary power, distributed electricity generation, and other land-based power applications. The company is associated with the industrial heritage of Bergen Mekaniske Verksted, a shipbuilding and engineering business established in Bergen in 1855. Although the modern Bergen Engines business is substantially younger than that original shipyard, its history reflects the development of Norwegian marine engineering from steam-powered vessels to large internal-combustion engines. The company’s dedicated diesel-engine activity began in 1942. World War II delayed completion of the initial design, but engines were delivered in 1946 and 1947 to the vessels MS Draupne and MS Arcturus. In 1984 the engine division was separated from the wider shipbuilding operation as BMV Maskin AS. Ulstein Group acquired it in 1985 and renamed it Bergen Diesel AS. The business subsequently became part of the Vickers group when Vickers acquired Ulstein Group in 1999. Rolls-Royce acquired Vickers later that year and progressively incorporated the operation into Rolls-Royce Marine, where it was known as Rolls-Royce Marine Engines - Bergen. Ownership changed again during the consolidation of the marine and power-equipment industries. In 2013 the business was merged into Tognum after Tognum had become a 50/50 joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Daimler. Rolls-Royce later bought Daimler’s interest, and the wider organization became known as Rolls-Royce Power Systems. The Bergen engine operation remained a specialist manufacturer within that industrial structure until Rolls-Royce agreed in 2021 to sell it. The proposed first transaction, announced in February 2021, involved TMH International, a company linked to Russian industrial interests. The deal generated political and national-security concerns in Norway because Bergen Engines supplied equipment and maintained capabilities considered strategically sensitive. In March 2021 the Norwegian government blocked the transaction under the Security Act. Rolls-Royce then sought another buyer and agreed in August 2021 to sell the business to British engineering group Langley Holdings. Completion took place on 31 December 2021. Bergen Engines’ current product family includes liquid-fuel engines operating on marine diesel oil or heavy fuel oil, together with gas-fueled variants designed for natural gas. The principal marketed platforms are the C25:33 and C26:33, B32:40 and B35:40, and B33:45 and B36:45 ranges. Across the portfolio, output is broadly stated at approximately 1.4 MW to 12 MW. Engines can be supplied for direct propulsion or as generator sets. The company also has a legacy of K-series engines, including the discontinued K-G4 lean-burn gas engine. Bergen Engines positions itself around high-power marine and stationary-engine applications, engineering expertise, long service life, and the ability to support installed equipment over its operating lifecycle. Its workforce has been described as numbering nearly 950 people worldwide, with more than 600 located at the Bergen headquarters and production facilities, although employment levels may change over time.

Bergen Engines traces its industrial lineage to Bergen Mekaniske Verksted, or BMV, a shipbuilding and engineering company established in Bergen in 1855. The original enterprise operated a machine workshop, foundry, forge, and dry dock, producing ships and steam engines for marine propulsion. This combination of ship construction and heavy engineering created the technical base from which the later engine business developed. BMV established a dedicated diesel-engine division in 1942. The Second World War interrupted the development program, and the first design was not completed until after the war. Engines were delivered in 1946 and 1947 to the vessels MS Draupne and MS Arcturus. These early deliveries marked the transition of the Bergen engineering tradition from steam technology toward internal-combustion marine power. In 1984 the diesel-engine division was separated from the broader shipbuilding operation and incorporated as BMV Maskin AS. Ulstein Group acquired the business in 1985 and renamed it Bergen Diesel AS. The new structure gave the engine operation a more distinct identity while maintaining its focus on marine propulsion and generating equipment. A major ownership change occurred in 1999, when Vickers plc acquired Ulstein Group. Vickers was acquired by Rolls-Royce in the same year. Rolls-Royce reorganized the Ulstein businesses under the Rolls-Royce Marine identity, and Bergen Diesel became Rolls-Royce Marine Engines - Bergen. The operation thereby became part of a large international marine-engineering group while retaining its Bergen manufacturing base and product heritage. The marine and power-equipment sectors underwent further consolidation in the following decade. In 2011 Rolls-Royce and Daimler launched a joint takeover offer for Tognum. The offer succeeded after 94 percent of Tognum shareholders accepted it. In July 2013 the Bergen engine activity was merged into Tognum after Tognum had become a 50/50 joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Daimler. Rolls-Royce announced in 2014 that it would acquire Daimler’s share. The resulting organization became known as Rolls-Royce Power Systems, placing Bergen within a broader power-systems portfolio. The most consequential ownership episode came in 2021. Rolls-Royce announced an agreement to sell Bergen Engines to TMH International, a company associated with Russian industrial interests. Norwegian authorities and political actors raised concerns that the proposed transaction could transfer strategically important industrial capabilities to an unsuitable owner. In March 2021 the Norwegian government used the Security Act to block the sale. The decision made the transaction a prominent example of national-security screening affecting an industrial acquisition and required Rolls-Royce to find another purchaser. In August 2021 Rolls-Royce reached an agreement with Langley Holdings, a British engineering and industrial group. The acquisition was completed on 31 December 2021. Under Langley ownership, Bergen Engines continued as a specialist manufacturer of medium-speed liquid-fuel and gas engines for marine and land-based applications. The company’s product families include the C25:33, B32:40, and B33:45 liquid-fuel platforms and corresponding C26:33, B35:40, and B36:45 gas variants. The stated power range for the current families extends from roughly 1.4 MW to 12 MW. Earlier K-series products, including the K-G4 lean-burn gas engine, are discontinued. The business supplies engines for propulsion and generator-set duties and supports customers through technical and lifecycle services.

1. 2021Norway blocks TMH transaction

   The Norwegian government blocks Rolls-Royce’s proposed sale of Bergen Engines to TMH International under the Security Act.

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2. 2021Langley Holdings completes acquisition

   Langley Holdings completes its purchase of Bergen Engines from Rolls-Royce on 31 December.

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3. 2014Rolls-Royce assumes full Tognum ownership

   Rolls-Royce announces the purchase of Daimler’s share of Tognum, which becomes Rolls-Royce Power Systems.

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4. 2013Bergen operation is merged into Tognum

   Following the Rolls-Royce and Daimler ownership structure at Tognum, the Bergen engine business is merged into Tognum.

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5. 1999Business enters the Rolls-Royce group

   Vickers acquires Ulstein Group, and Rolls-Royce subsequently acquires Vickers. Bergen Diesel is renamed Rolls-Royce Marine Engines - Bergen.

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6. 1985Ulstein Group acquires the engine business

   Ulstein Group acquires BMV Maskin and renames it Bergen Diesel AS.

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7. 1984Engine division becomes BMV Maskin

   The diesel-engine operation is spun off from the shipbuilding business as BMV Maskin AS.

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8. 1946First postwar engine deliveries

   The first completed engines are delivered to MS Draupne and MS Arcturus after wartime delays.

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9. 1942Diesel-engine division founded

   BMV establishes a dedicated diesel-engine division, beginning the direct development of the business that later becomes Bergen Engines.

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10. 1855Bergen Mekaniske Verksted is established

    The Bergen shipbuilding and engineering works begins operations with facilities including a machine workshop, foundry, forge, and dry dock.

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A specialist Norwegian engineering brand serving demanding marine and land-based power applications with medium-speed liquid-fuel and gas engines, supported by long industrial experience and lifecycle service capabilities.

• Bergen C25:33Liquid-fuel medium-speed engine

  The C25:33 is one of Bergen Engines’ marketed liquid-fuel platforms for marine and land-based applications. It is part of the company’s current medium-speed range and is designed for use either in propulsion-related installations or in generating sets. The liquid-fuel portfolio can operate on marine diesel oil and heavy fuel oil, subject to the applicable installation and fuel specifications.

• Bergen C26:33Gas-fueled medium-speed engine

  The C26:33 is the gas-fueled counterpart to the C25:33 platform. It belongs to Bergen Engines’ natural-gas engine range for marine and stationary power applications. Gas variants are intended to provide an alternative to liquid fuels where the project’s fuel infrastructure, emissions requirements, and operating profile support gas-powered generation or propulsion.

• Bergen B32:40Liquid-fuel marine and power engine1986

  The B32:40 is a liquid-fuel member of the Bergen B series. The range is used across ocean-going vessels and can be configured either as a propulsion engine or as a generator-set prime mover. The platform is available in in-line and V-cylinder configurations and is associated with power outputs broadly within the multi-megawatt marine-engine segment.

• Bergen B35:40Gas-fueled marine and power engine

  The B35:40 is a gas-fueled version of the B-series architecture. It uses hardware developed from the B diesel platform while incorporating changes needed for natural-gas operation. It is designed for high power and efficiency in the approximately 720–750 rpm class and targets lower emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons compared with conventional liquid-fuel operation.

• Bergen B33:45Liquid-fuel medium-speed engine

  The B33:45 is a modern liquid-fuel platform in Bergen Engines’ current B-series lineup. It serves marine and land-based power duties and can be supplied for propulsion or electricity generation. The range is designed for installations requiring substantial continuous or prime power, with the overall current product family covering outputs from approximately 1.4 MW to 12 MW.

• Bergen B36:45Gas-fueled medium-speed engine

  The B36:45 is the gas-fueled counterpart to the B33:45. It is intended for natural-gas power projects in marine and stationary applications. As part of the company’s newer gas-engine family, it extends Bergen’s offering for customers seeking medium-speed power generation with gas as the primary fuel.

• Bergen K and K-G4Legacy diesel and lean-burn gas engines

  The K series is a discontinued legacy family. The K-G4 was also offered as a lean-burn gas engine with an output range stated at approximately 1.19 MW to 3.97 MW. Its development was based on the K-type diesel and heavy-fuel-oil engine architecture. These products remain part of Bergen Engines’ technical history but are not identified as current marketed platforms.

• 2021Rolls-Royce agrees to sell Bergen Engines to TMH InternationalM&A

  Rolls-Royce sought to divest the Bergen engine business and announced a proposed transaction with TMH International. The transaction was assessed in Norway against national-security considerations.

  What changed. The proposed sale was submitted to the relevant Norwegian authorities and was subsequently blocked under the Security Act.

  Aftermath. Rolls-Royce abandoned the TMH transaction and began searching for another buyer.

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• 2021Langley Holdings acquisition of Bergen EnginesM&A

  After the Norwegian government blocked the proposed TMH transaction, Rolls-Royce sought a buyer acceptable under the applicable national-security framework.

  What changed. Rolls-Royce entered an agreement with Langley Holdings in August 2021, and Langley completed the acquisition on 31 December 2021.

  Aftermath. Bergen Engines became part of Langley Holdings while continuing its Bergen-based engine manufacturing and engineering activities.

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• 2021Blocked sale to TMH InternationalControversy

  Rolls-Royce’s proposed sale of Bergen Engines to TMH International generated controversy in Norway because of concerns about national security and the possible transfer of strategically significant industrial capabilities. The Norwegian government blocked the transaction in March 2021 under the Security Act.

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• 2021Langley Holdings agrees to acquire Bergen Engines

  After the blocked TMH transaction, Rolls-Royce entered an agreement to sell Bergen Engines to British engineering and industrial group Langley Holdings.

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• 2021Langley Holdings completes acquisition of Bergen Engines

  Langley Holdings completed its acquisition of Bergen Engines from Rolls-Royce on 31 December 2021.

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1. Bergen Engines
2. Bergen Engines official website