China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), the Shanghai-listed transport big and daughter firm of China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), has ordered an MAN B&W 7G80ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) fundamental engine in reference to the development of a really giant crude service (VLCC). The first such dual-fuel methanol order for the ship kind, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) will assemble the vessel with supply due by April 2026.
CSE (China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Diesel Engine Co., Ltd.) will construct the engine, which is able to come accompanied by MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) emissions system.
Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, stated, “This is a unique project that represents the first such methanol-burning engine within this particular marine segment and which comes from a major VLCC fleet owner. Taking this, and its recent dual-fuel business with us into account, CMES is definitively a first mover to methanol, which we expect will figure prominently as a future fuel across all vessel segments.”
MAN Energy Solutions developed the ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol, in addition to typical gasoline. The engine relies on the corporate’s confirmed ME-series, with its roughly 8,500 engines in service, and works in line with the Diesel precept. When working on inexperienced methanol, the engine presents carbon-neutral propulsion for giant merchant-marine vessels. Currently greater than 150 ME-LGIM engines are on order or in service, greater than 70 of that are G95ME-LGIM Mk 10.5 variants.
Methanol carriers have already operated at sea for a few years utilizing the engine, and, as such, the ME-LGIM has a confirmed monitor document.
Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, stated, “Switching to low-carbon fuel is the most effective way to decarbonize the existing maritime fleet and we are currently experiencing an increased interest in methanol-powered engines. In tune with this, we recently expanded our methanol portfolio such that its power range now covers all large merchant-marine vessel applications, including VLCCs. The over 150 ME-LGIM engines ordered and more than 450,000 running hours on methanol already recorded at sea show how capable our concept is.”
The new order follows on the heels of CMES’s current order for six small-bore, seven-cylinder 21/31DF-M, methanol-burning GenSets in reference to the development of two × 9,300 ceu (automotive equal items) pure automotive and truck carriers (PCTC), which itself adopted an order for 2 MAN B&W ME-LGIM fundamental engines for a similar vessels.
