A new pair of car carriers for China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) will sport methanol generator sets
CMES has two 9,300-CEU pure car truck carriers (PCTCs) under construction at China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI).
CMHI has now ordered six small-bore, seven-cylinder 21/31DF-M, methanol-burning gensets in connection with the construction of these two ships. Three 7L21/31DF-M gensets aboard each of the two vessels will accompany an MAN B&W 7S60ME-LGIM main engines previously ordered by CMHI in May 2023.
This is the first order for MAN Energy Solutions’ new methanol-powered, four-stroke genset. MAN’s Chinese licensee CMP will build the engines in China with first delivery due Q1 2025.
Vessel delivery is set for 2025 and 2026, and the contract includes an option for another four vessels.
Other companies are also eyeing methanol vessels in the PCTC segment. In August, Wallenius Wilhelmsen signed a letter of intent with Jiangsu shipyard for four 9,350-CEU methanol dual-fuel PCTCs. That order could potentially rise to eight more optional vessels of the same size and make.
MAN head of two-stroke Bjarne Foldager said, “The vehicle-transport sector’s interest in using methanol is at an all-time high driven by the need for expanded capacity – due to robust Chinese car-sales – and emissions regulations. Within the PCTC segment, CMES is the first mover to methanol, which we expect will figure prominently as a future fuel across all vessel segments.”
Mr Foldager added, “As happy as we were to initially win the main engines for this exciting project, we are even more satisfied to add these methanol-driven gensets – their first such sale and one which fits with our aim to increasingly become a supplier of complete decarbonisation solutions.”
The 21/31DF-M is based on a port fuel-injection concept that optimises reliability, while simultaneously minimising capital-outlay time.
The engine maker’s head of promotion and customer support, Thomas S Hansen said, “The new genset benefits from the high reliability, high performance and fuel flexibility of the 21/31 engine platform, while the possibility to operate on green methanol as a drop-in fuel increases its fuel-flexibility.”
The foundation for the new L21/31DF-M genset is the existing L21/31 genset, which has accumulated more than 55M operating hours with thousands of engines in service. MAN states the L21/31DF-M power range spans 1,000–1,980 kW, making it suitable “for most merchant vessels.”
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