MAN ME-LGI Engines Contract Confirmed
MAN Diesel & Turbo says that Vancouver-based Waterfront Shipping has confirmed its Methanol Carrier Project for a series of 50,000-dwt methanol carriers, each powered by an MAN B&W ME-LGI main engine running on methanol.
The confirmation stems from a Letter of Intent MAN Diesel & Turbo and Waterfront signed earlier. MAN Diesel & Turbo officially designates the ME-LGI engine as ME-B9.3-LGI.
In collaboration with leading shipping lines, Waterfront reports that it is behind the 2+1 × 6G50ME-LGI engines ordered by Westfal-Larsen, the 2+1 × 7S50ME-B9.3-LGI by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and the 1+1+1 × 6G50ME-LGI with Marinvest/Skagerack Invest.
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co., Ltd. (HMD) will build the Westfal-Larsen and Marinvest/Skagerack Invest vessels, while HHI-EMD, Hyundai Heavy Industries’ engine and machinery division, will construct the engines. For the MOL contract, Minami Nippon Shipbuilding will construct the newbuildings, while Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES) will build the engines.
Ole Grøne, Senior Vice President – Low Speed Promotion & Sales – MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “This order represents a real market breakthrough for our Liquid Gas Injection engine and is the first such, commercial project that is not reliant on external funding. Simply put, the ME-LGI engine was chosen for these carriers because it is the engine best suited to the application. The LGI engine is designed to handle low-flash-point, low-sulphur fuels like LPG and methanol, etc. Consequently, its green credentials are striking with emissions of sulphur being almost completely eliminated.”
MAN explains that Waterfront Shipping, a wholly owned subsidiary of Methanex Corporation, is a global marine transportation company specialising in the transport of bulk chemicals and clean petroleum products. With the growing demand for cleaner marine fuel to meet environmental regulations coming into effect in Northern Europe and other regions, methanol is a promising alternative fuel for ships.
“Methanol is a sulphur-free fuel and provides many environmental and clean-burning benefits. In using methanol-based marine fuel, we can reduce emissions and fuel costs at the same time,” stated Jone Hognestad, President, Waterfront Shipping, at the time of the signing of the Letter of Intent.
MAN developed the ME-LGI engine in response to interest from the shipping world in operating on alternatives to heavy fuel oil.
The G-type programme
MAN Diesel & Turbo’s G-type programme entered the market in October 2010. The ‘G’ prefix before an engine means it has a design that follows the principles of the large-bore, Mark 9 engine series that MAN Diesel & Turbo introduced in 2006 with an ultra-long stroke that reduces engine speed, thereby paving the way for ship designs with unprecedented high-efficiency.
G-type engines’ longer stroke results in a lower rpm for the engine driving the propeller. This lower optimum engine speed allows the use of a larger propeller and is, ultimately, significantly more efficient in terms of engine propulsion. Together with an optimised engine design, this reduces fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions. Since its introduction, more than 350 engines have borne the G-prefix.
