MAN’s methanol ready 49/60DF engine passes TAT with flying colours

German engine manufacturing powerhouse MAN Energy Solutions revealed on Wednesday that its MAN 49/60DF engine has received its Type Approval after a five-day program on the testbed at the company’s HQ in Augsburg, Germany.

The Type Approval Test (TAT) was witnessed by inspectors representing the ABS, BV, CCS, DNV, LR and RINA classification societies, who signed the test protocol upon the successful completion of the schedule.

The dual-fuel engine is capable of running on LNG, diesel and HFO as well as a number of more sustainable fuels including biofuel blends and synthetic natural gas. 

MAN claims that its 49/60 DF engine offers a feasible decarbonization pathway to 2050.

In line with the rules of the Fuel EU draft, when in gas mode the engine can remain compliant as is by using LNG until 2035, while from then until 2050 it can remain compliant by switching to partial use of bio or synthetic LNG.

“Today marks the latest milestone in the 49/60DF’s journey since its concept release in 2018. As we enter a new era of decarbonisation, the 49/60DF is an obvious choice for vessel owners with ambitious, emission-reduction targets that prize full fuel-flexibility and multiple options for clear emission paths,” Marita Krems, Head of Four-Stroke Marine & License, MAN Energy Solutions, said.

“Over the last eighteen months, we have demonstrated the engine’s reliability and robustness. The TAT now issued is a certificate of conformity that confirms that the engine meets the regulatory, technical and safety requirements required to enter the marketplace,” Thomas Huchatz, Sales Manager Four-Stroke Marine, MAN Energy Solutions, said.

The 49/60DF engine platform features MAN’s two-stage turbocharging, second-generation common-rail fuel injection, the SaCoS5000 automation system, and next-generation Adaptive Combustion Control ACC 2.0 that automatically optimises combustion. The engine also features a gas-injection system, pilot-fuel-oil system and MAN Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system.

The engine can operate and even start in gas mode where it complies with IMO Tier III without exhaust gas after-treatment. In diesel mode, it complies with Tier III when combined with MAN’s SCR system.

Soot emissions in diesel mode are halved due to the second-generation common-rail system 2.2, while the 49/60DF’s methane emissions are also drastically reduced in gas mode, the company said.

The new engine is also methanol-ready, meaning it is inherently ready for retrofit to run on methanol should the demand arise at a later stage.

MAN Energy Solutions added it was also introducing a pure diesel engine based on the 49/60 platform that will be methanol- and LNG-ready and features the same technology upgrades as its dual-fuel sibling; the engine can also operate on biofuels.