MAN ES’ methanol engines to power series of very large container vessels

Germany-based engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) has received multiple orders for MAN B&W G95ME-LGIM Mk 10.5 methanol engines to power a series of very large container vessels (VLCVs).

The order is said to bring the cumulative number of G95ME-C10.5-LGIM methanol engine orders to 95 at various yards in South Korea, China and Japan since the engine’s market introduction in 2021, of which five have already entered operation aboard VLCVs.

According to MAN ES, the new engines will share the same basic engine design concept as the 50-bore LGIM engines that have already been delivered, of which more than 25 are already in service.

Bjarne Foldager, Country Manager, Denmark, MAN Energy Solutions, commented: “The marine industry is heading for a multi-fuel future where several pathways need to be available in order to achieve sufficient greenhouse-gas reduction at scale. Along with methane and ammonia, methanol is one of the low- and zero-carbon fuels that will underpin shipping’s quest for decarbonisation. We ultimately expect methanol to figure prominently as a future fuel across all vessel segments.”

Peter Quaade, Head of Dual-Fuel Engine Group, Two-Stroke Engine Support, MAN Energy Solutions, stated: “Interest in methanol is taking off for newbuildings and retrofits. Our dual-fuel methanol concept is proven and, to date, has accumulated over half a million hours running on methanol alone. Simultaneously, the interest in methanol retrofits is also growing. Indeed, the world’s first methanol engine retrofit – a G95ME-LGIM type – is currently undergoing sea-trials in China, which we anticipate will increase interest in this approach to decarbonisation.”

To note, the company developed the liquid gas injection methanol (ME-LGIM) dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on MAN ES’ ME-series, with its approximately 8,500 engines in service, and works according to the Diesel principle. When operating on green methanol, the engine is said to offer carbon-neutral propulsion for large merchant-marine vessels. Currently, more than 210 ME-LGIM engines are on order or in service, the company revealed.

In July 2024, MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales brand of MAN ES announced that, from 2025, it will offer a retrofit package for the conversion of conventional MAN four-stroke engines to dual-fuel methanol operation. The companies will initially be able to convert existing MAN 48/60 engines to the latest MAN 51/60DF engine type with methanol capability.

“Converting existing engines to dual-fuel operation with synthetic fuels is of crucial importance to climate-neutral shipping. In addition to new engines, we also need concepts to decarbonise the existing fleet. After all, ships have a service life of 20 to 30 years and, from an economic point of view, retrofitting is also much more efficient than installing a new engine or building a new ship,” Bernd Siebert, Head of Retrofits & Upgrades, MAN PrimeServ, pointed out.

It is worth mentioning that in October 2024, MAN ES also launched the AmmoniaMot 2 research project that aims to develop a four-stroke, medium-speed, dual-fuel test engine powered by ammonia.

Backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), the project reportedly began in August 2024 and is scheduled to run for another three and a half years.