Crowley orders MAN B&W ME-GI engines for ConRo duo

JANUARY 10, 2014 — MAN Diesel and Turbo says that Crowley Maritime Corporation has ordered multiple main and auxiliary dual-fuel engines for the two LNG fueled ConRo ships it has ordered from shipbuilder VT Halter Marine.

Each vessel will be powered by an MAN B&W 8S70ME-GI8.2 main engine and three MAN 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines.

MAN Diesel and Turbo says that Crowley selected the high-pressure, diesel-cycle ME-GI engines due to their high efficiency and power concentration. The ME-GI’s ability to avoid derating, and its negligible methane slip, also contributed to its selection.

The new, double-hulled ConRo ships will be 219.5 m long, 32.3 m wide (beam), have a deep draft of 10 m, and an approximate deadweight capacity of 26,500 metric tonnes. Cargo capacity will be approximately 2,400 TEU with additional space for nearly 400 vehicles.

Crowley says that the newbuildings will reduce the amount of CO2 emissions attributable to each container by approximately 38%. Additionally, the ships will meet or exceed all regulatory requirements and have the CLEAN notation, which requires limitation of operational emissions and discharges, as well as the Green Passport, both issued by classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV).

The ME-GI engine is the culmination of many years’ work. The ME-GI engine gives shipowners and operators the option of utilizing oil fuel or gas depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations. A ME-LGI counterpart that uses LPG, methanol and other liquid gases is also available, and has already been ordered.

After 20,000 hours of operation in a peak-shaving stationary application with a Mitsui-built 40 MW 12K80MC-GI engine in Japan from 1994 to 2004, Hyundai became the first MAN Diesel & Turbo two-stroke licensee to demonstrate the latest ME-GI concept in Korea in late-2012, with Mitsui following in April 2013. At the time, MAN Diesel & Turbo predicted a broad, potential market for its ME-GI engine. Subsequently, the company reported much interest in the engine and has since confirmed several orders from significant market players.

MAN Diesel & Turbo sees significant opportunities arising for gas-fueled tonnage as fuel prices rise and modern exhaust-emission limits tighten. Research indicates that the ME-GI engine delivers significant reductions in CO2, NOx and SOx emissions. Furthermore, says MAN Diesel and Turbo, the ME-GI engine has negligible methane slip and is therefore the most environmentally friendly technology available. As such, the ME-GI engine represents a highly efficient, flexible, propulsion-plant solution.