MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales division of the German MAN Energy Solutions, announced it has secured a contract to convert two RoPax ferries of the Spanish operator Baleària to dual-fuel operation, the first conversion of its kind in shipping industry.
As informed, the two sister ships, the ‘Nápoles’ and ‘Sicilia’, are currently each powered by 2 × MAN 9L48/60A main engines, which will all be converted to 9L51/60DF units that will enable running on LNG.
This is part of an ongoing project which involved the conversion of the 1,036-TEU feeder container ship ‘Wes Amelie’ to dual-fuel, a world’s first, back in September 2017. Now Wessel’s Reederei’s vessel operates in the highly regulated Nordic and Baltic Seas, both lying within Emission Control Areas.
The dual-fuel conversion has enabled the ‘Wes Amelie’ to reduce its SOx emissions by over 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.
We showed – with the conversion of Wessels Reederei’s ‘Wes Amelie’ container ship – 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,
…said Dr Thomas Spindler, Head of Upgrades & Retrofits, PrimeServ Four-Stroke, MAN Energy Solutions.
Director General of Operations at Baleària, Ettore Morace, added that this is a strategic line for the company based on the use of LNG and other clean energies as well as fleet eco-efficiency”.
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 serves currently the Algeciras – Tanger Med route.
The conversion to LNG is part of MAN’s engagement for the establishment of LNG as a shipping fuel. Calling for a ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ the company considers the use of natural gases as the fuels of choice in global shipping as the most promising way to supporting the goal of a climate-neutral shipping industry. Launched in 2016 after COP 21, MAN’s initiative has since found broad support within the shipping industry and politics.
