MAN wins contract for first RoPax ferry LNG conversions

Pictured at the signing of the contract for the retrofits at Baleària Head Office in Denia, Spain, (front, from left): Dr Thomas Spindler, MAN Energy Solutions – Head of Upgrades & Retrofits, PrimeServ Augsburg; and Ettore Morace, Baleària Director General of Operations; (rear, from left) Carlos Madonar, MAN Energy Solutions, Spain; José Poblet, CoteNaval Director General; Pablo Montes, MAN Energy Solutions, Spain; and Marcel Lodder, MAN Energy Solutions – Marine Upgrades & Retrofits Sales, PrimeServ Augsburg

AUGUST 29, 2018 — Spanish ferry operator Baleària has selected MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales division of MAN Energy Solutions, to convert two RoPax ferries to dual-fuel operation.

The sister ships Nápoles and Sicilia are currently each powered by two MAN 9L48/60A main engines that will all be converted to 9L51/60DF units that will enable running on LNG.

The conversions are the first of five planned by Baleària under a 60 million euro (about $70 million) plan announced earlier this month (see story). They are also the first ever conversions of RoPax ferry engines for LNG operation

Dr Thomas Spindler, Head of Upgrades & Retrofits, PrimeServ Four-Stroke, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “We showed – with the conversion of Wessels Reederei’s Wes Amelie containership – that operational MAN engines can successfully be converted to LNG operation with a tremendous effect on exhaust emissions and the environment. We are very happy that Baleària has seen fit to bring these benefits to a new segment and application and look forward to the conversion procedure.”

The conversion of the Nápoles is due to take place in Spain between November 2018 and January 2019, with the conversion of Sicilia to take place from October to December 2019. The Sicilia operates on the Barcelona – Ibiza route, while the Nápoles currently serves the Algeciras – Tanger Med route.

The Wes Amelie conversion

The Wes Amelie project – the world’s first conversion of its type — involved the retrofitting of the 1,036-TEU feeder containership’s MAN 8L48/60B main engine to a multi-fuel, four-stroke MAN 51/60DF unit that enables dual-fuel operation.

Wessel’s Reederei’s Wes Amelie operates in the highly regulated Nordic and Baltic Seas. Since both bodies of water lie within Emission Control Areas, the vessel needed to meet the highest environmental standards and strictest limits for emissions.

The dual-fuel conversion has enabled the Wes Amelie to significantly reduce its SOx emissions by >99%, NOx by approximately 90%, and CO2 by up to 20%. The vessel now meets both the Tier II and Tier III emission requirements set by IMO.