MAN dual-fuel two strokes pass 500,000 hour milestone

Picture from the September 2018 official unveiling of MAN Energy Solutions’ ME-LGIP engine in Copenhagen, an LPG-burning type and the latest addition to the company’s dual-fuel, two-stroke portfolio

MAN Energy Solutions reports that its two-stroke, dual-fuel engine portfolio has now logged over 500,000 operating hours. The company has booked more than 250 sales across its entire range of dual-fuel two strokes – all running on LNG or other clean fuels such as LPG and methanol.

“This is a massive milestone that highlights the success of the dual-fuel strategy we have laid over the past decade,” said Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President, Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions. “The engines’ efficiency –in all fuel modes – is the best in the market, which gives shipowners enormous flexibility, and we note that all fuel modes are employed. Half a million hours of dual-fuel operation stands testament to our leadership in this critical market segment. On behalf of MAN Energy Solutions, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to our customers for their support, and the trust they have placed in these future-proof solutions.”

MAN Energy Solutions’ ME-GI (-Gas Injection) and ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) engines form the core of its two-stroke, dual-fuel portfolio and have notched up many notable firsts since their introduction to the market, including the first oceangoing ships powered respectively by LNG, methanol, ethane and LPG.

The company says that service reports have also been positive, stating that recent experience from a 174,000 cu.m LNG carrier powered by an ME-GI engine logged reliability and availability figures of 99%.

“With references in every major marine segment, our dual-fuel portfolio can rightly be considered as mature technology,” said Foldager. “With 2020 and the new IMO emissions legislation fast approaching, our ME-GI and ME-LGI engines continue to act as standard bearers for environmentally friendly, reliable propulsion technology with their seamless switching between fuels and elimination of methane slip. Furthermore, their use of the Diesel combustion principle ensures that they can easily adapt to run on whatever fuels the industry may prefer in the future.”

With the marine industry waiting to see how fuel prices and availability evolve after 2020, which will have a significant impact on shipowners’ choice of new engines, MAN Energy Solutions expects – for new or existing, electronically-controlled MAN B&W-branded engines – the choice of retrofitting to ME-GI or ME-LGI engines will ultimately become a necessity.