Selandia was the first diesel-powered ship approved to sail the oceans. The ship was made in collaboration between B&W and ØK, who considered the diesel engine to be a more effective replacement to the steam engine. Selandia was built on Refshaleøen and conducted a successful trial in Øresund, February 1912.
The diesel engine was crucial for the growing industrialization of the world. It became the driving force of dynamo lighting and of powering machines, thereby displacing the steam engine. Since the first diesel engine was put into operation, it has been further developed which almost halved the fuel consumption.