MAN Diesel & Turbo approves Hitachi Zosen SCR

OCTOBER 27, 2014 — Japan’s Hitachi Zosen Corporation says it has become the first company to receive first-time approval (FTA) for a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for marine engines from its licensor MAN Diesel & Turbo.

To meet IMO Tier III NOx level reductions, Hitachi Zosen started developing an SCR system using its proprietary NOx removal catalyst on a test engine in 2009 in partnership with MAN.

In 2011 the SCR system was certified by ClassNK and fitted in a new vessel for in-service testing that has been ongoing since November 2011.

Hitachi Zosen says that the main advantage of its system is that it uses high-pressure exhaust gas upstream of the turbocharger that is high in density and requires only a low-capacity catalyst, resulting a compact design less than half the size of conventional systems.

The FTA from MAN verifies that Hitachi Zosen’s SCR system for marine engines is fully compliant with Tier III standards, which are applicable to new ships constructed on or after January 1, 2016.

As it takes at least one year to design a new ship, says Hitachi Zosen, shipbuilding demand for SCR systems for newbuildings is rising significantly.

Hitachi Zosen says that it commenced full-scale marketing of SCR systems for marine engines this year and that it plans to build on the FTA and collaborate further with MAN to carry out aggressive order intake activities worldwide.