MAN ES expands duel-fuel methanol engine deal with CCS

German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions and China Classification Society (CCS) have signed a sub-agreement that will support the development project for the new MAN 21/31 dual-fuel methanol (DF-M) engine.

Signed at an online ceremony on February 27, 2024, the sub-agreement is said to be in line with the strategic framework agreement (SFA) the two parties previously agreed in Beijing in September 2023.

The SFA on ‘Decarbonisation and Digitalisation in the maritime industry’, is scheduled to last for five years. The new sub-agreement – the third such between the companies – covers MAN Energy Solutions’ new MAN L21/31DF-M GenSet designed at the company’s Danish site in Holeby. It provides for a collaboration between the two companies that will support the new engine in the Chinese market, including all activities associated with its planned Type Approval Test (TAT) in China in Q4 2024.

“The introduction of the MAN L21/31 DF-M methanol dual-fuel engine provides shipowners with more choices to achieve their decarbonisation goals. We much appreciate MAN Energy Solutions’ contribution and believe that the collaboration between it and CCS in alternative-fuel engines will surely make further contributions to a more sustainable future for the global maritime industry,” Jiang Botao, Marine Product Department General Manager at CCS, said.

“We have witnessed an increased interest in methanol-fuelled ships in recent years as methanol is an important alternative fuel for greenhouse-gas-emissions reduction. We are delighted to collaborate with MAN Energy Solutions, the leading marine-power solution provider, on this methanol dual-fuel engine to contribute to ship safety and maritime decarbonisation. CCS is fully committed to working with MAN Energy Solutions to complete the approval and delivery of this type of methanol dual-fuel engine,” Sun Qun, Jiangsu Plan Approval Center Manager, commented.

“The MAN L21/31 engine is well-established in the market having notched some 2,750 sales to date. With the shipping market currently experiencing an increased interest in methanol as marine fuel, we feel that the introduction of this dual-fuel engine is timely. This collaboration with CCS will provide great support to the new MAN L21/31 DF-M variant upon its entry to the Chinese market,” Finn Fjeldhøj, Senior Manager and Site Manager, Holeby, noted.

“This latest announcement represents a further step towards a multi-fuel, decarbonised future that is quickly becoming a prominent consideration for shipowners in all vessel segments and sizes,” Lars Ascanius, Senior Manager, Two-Stroke Engine Lifecycle Management, concluded.

The strategic framework agreement is designed as an umbrella agreement that enables MAN Energy Solutions and CCS to add sub-agreements as required.

Since its original signing, and prior to this new agreement, the two companies have added two other sub-agreements. The first covers the introduction of MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke methanol engine to the CCS Global Fleet; and the second covers changes to Class Rules for the CCS Global Fleet.

The 21/31DF-M is based on a simple port fuel-injection concept that optimizes reliability, while simultaneously minimizing capital-outlay time. The foundation for the new L21/31DF-M GenSet is the existing L21/31 GenSet, which has accumulated more than 55 million operating hours with thousands of engines in service. Furthermore, the L21/31DF-M power range spans 1,000–1,980 kW, which makes it suitable for most merchant vessels.