In the early 1930s, B&W received an order to deliver a large diesel engine. Its purpose was to produce power at H.C. Ørstedsværket by the Copenhagen Sydhavn as a supplement to the existing steam turbine plant.
The engine is so grand, that the building it is situated in, had to be constructed around the engine – meaning, the engine was not fitted to the room but vice versa.
B&W2000 is a double-acting, two-stroke engine. It was put into operation in 1933 and was for more than 30 years, the world’s largest diesel engine. It was designed to supply power to the capital at times when the electricity grid was under the most pressure – in the morning time and at 3-6 pm, when people got off work.
The engine was active until the late 1960s, but it was kept ready until it was disconnected from the electrical grid in 2004. Since the engine was disconnected in the late sixties, it has been started at least once a month and it was always ensured that the starting-air reservoirs were filled. This is the reason why the engine was able to supply power to Copenhagen, back when all of Zealand was hit by a power outage in 2003.
The engine is demonstrated on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month and on special occasions.