Alfa Laval FCM Methanol selected for Chinese containership quartet

Alfa Laval FCM Methanol third-generation low flashpoint fuel supply system (LFSS),

As methanol becomes an increasingly significant marine fuel choice, Alfa Laval has marked another significant milestone on its methanol journey. It has won an order to supply its FCM Methanol low flashpoint fuel supply system (LFSS) for four mega container vessels being constructed for a Chinese owner at a Chinese shipyard.

Though Alfa Laval has not disclosed the owner or the shipyard it is wildly unlikely that they are any other than the four on order for COSCO Shipping Lines at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd

The new vessels will have a two-stroke WinGD methanol engine and four-stroke Wärtsilä methanol auxiliary engines. FCM Methanol will work with both these engine types and deliveries will begin in 2024.

The project is characterized by several firsts, It marks the first time that a Chinese shipowner has ordered methanol-capable vessels. It is also the first time for the shipyard to build such vessels, and for WinGD to deliver engines for methanol-fueled ships.

The Alfa Laval FCM Methanol is capable of supplying methanol within the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and filtration parameters specified by the engine maker. The technology can be adapted to any engine and vessel designs and the company will provide a customized methanol fuel supply system for the ships, adapting its FCM Methanol design to the requirements of these engines for the first time, marking it also a significant milestone for Alfa Laval.

“We are honored to have been selected to deliver the methanol fuel supply systems for these pioneering methanol-fueled vessels,” says Viktor Friberg, head of marine separation & fuel supply systems at Alfa Laval. “This project exemplifies our commitment to bringing alternative fuels into the shipping industry. We see close cooperation with key stakeholders, such as shipowners, shipyards, engine designers and engineering companies, as a way forward to make meaningful progress towards decarbonization.”

Alfa Laval has been continuously refining its technological know-how in developing new solutions for methanol transition since 2015. It says that its proven expertise in fuel supply systems and comprehensive understanding of methanol as marine fuel played a crucial in securing this project.

• More on Alfa Laval and methanol HERE