Tsuneishi orders MAN’s methanol engines for J. Lauritzen newbuildings

Japan’s Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co. has ordered three ME-LGIM main engines from MAN Energy Solutions to power methanol-powered bulkers being built for Danish shipping company J. Lauritzen.

The three 3 × MAN B&W 7G50ME-C9.6-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) main engines will feature MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary Exhaust Gas Recirculation ByPass (EGRBP) emissions-reduction technology. MITSUI E&S will build the engines in Japan.

“We are currently experiencing a wave of ME-LGIM orders and it is great to see such a respected company as J. Lauritzen joining the decarbonization journey. While car carriers have been to the fore recently, we ultimately expect methanol to figure prominently as a future fuel across all vessel segments and these newbuildings will be capable of trading carbon-neutrally when powered by green methanol and bio-fuel oils,” Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, said.

The 81,200 dwt Kamsarmax vessels will be among the very first methanol-capable bulk carriers in the world and will be fully owned by Lauritzen NexGen Shipping, which J. Lauritzen and Lauritzen Bulkers A/S reportedly will use as a platform for further investments in zero-carbon emission and future-proof assets for the shipping industry. The vessels have been ordered in cooperation with Cargill, the American global food corporation, who will operate the vessels for a minimum period of seven years.

“With more than 160 orders and 500,000 running hours accumulated on methanol, the ME-LGIM engine is proven technology and the defacto industry standard for the methanol propulsion of large merchant-marine vessels. As the engines are readily available and methanol dual-fuel types have a lower capital outlay compared to other, alternative fuel-propulsion solutions for ships, we expect to win further orders within the bulk-carrier segment over the coming months and years,” Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, said.