Matson Navigation Inc. and MAN Energy Solutions have signed a contract for the retrofit of the main engine aboard the ‘Daniel K. Inouye’, a container ship in the Matson fleet.
Constructed in 2018, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, MAN PrimeServ, will retrofit the 3,600 teu vessel’s MAN B&W 7S90ME-C engine to an MAN B&W 7S90ME-GI type capable of operating on LNG and fuel oil. The contract includes an option for a second vessel.
Dual-fuel retrofits offer a viable pathway to shipowners such as Matson who foster a company-wide ethic of environmental sustainability and wish to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Ultimately, when bio-LNG and SNG come on-line in sufficient volumes, ME-GI engines operating on these fuels will also satisfy such net-zero aspirations.
..Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofit & Upgrades at MAN Energy Solutions, PrimeServ Denmark said.
MAN Energy Solutions states that, as the lowest carbon-intensity fuel, operation on LNG is projected to reduce the Daniel K Inouye’s CO2 emissions by 24% with a maximum, guaranteed, ultra-low methane slip of between 0.20-0.28 g/kWh across the load envelope.
As part of the retrofit solution, MAN Energy Solutions will also provide a Pump and Vaporizer Unit (PVU), the prefered high-pressure pump and vaporizer for MAN B&W ME-GI engines, which will be integrated into the Daniel K Inouye’s Fuel Gas Supply System (FGSS).
With the ME-GI engine, two-stroke development has taken a step further by combining the unique properties of multi-fuel combustion and the well-known reliability of MAN Energy Solutions ME-engine. The Diesel principle not only provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, but also ensures 100% reliable operation during load changes on gas with just normal additions of pilot-oil amounts.
