WinGD methanol-fueled engines picked for six green boxships

Swiss marine power company WinGD has been contracted to supply X-DF-M methanol-fueled engines for a series of six container vessels to be built at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China.

The 9,000 TEU vessels will each be powered by an X82DF-M engine built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine & Machinery Division (HHI-EMD).

The new order, which includes options for further engines, expands WinGD’s methanol engine orders into the 82-bore size.

As Offshore Energy previously reported, early interest in the X92DF-M resulted in an order for four engines to power ultra-large container vessels being built for China’s COSCO Shipping Lines.

“This order confirms that our X-DF-M engines will be in service long before green methanol is widely available and before regulatory requirements come into force, giving operators time to build experience with the new fuel and engines,” Volkmar Galke, Director Sales, WinGD, said.

“We are delighted that one of the biggest and most influential container lines has also invested in our X-DF-M technology, sending a strong signal to all operators currently making their own alternative fuel decisions.”

As previously stated, both X-DF-M and ammonia-fuelled X-DF-A engines will be available for delivery from Q1 2025. The combustion principle and engine platform deployed for X-DF-M engines are based on the latest X-Engines from WinGD, supplemented by high-pressure methanol injection.

Notable features of X-DF-M engines include comparable performance with X-engines in both methanol and diesel modes, low pilot fuel requirements achieved through precisely controlled common rail injection, and NOx Tier III compliance in both modes with selective catalytic reduction.

The new engine concept will be retrofittable to the X-Engine series as soon as X-DF-M engines are available in the relevant bore sizes.

The new vessel series will enter service in 2026 and 2027.