Gas trials completed on ME-GI engine with pump vaporiser unit

Gas trials were completed on CMA CGM Tenere, the first of six neo-Panamax container ships built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries for Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS). Each ship will be powered by a single two-stroke, electronically controlled MAN B&W 11G90ME-GI main engine – the largest and most powerful gas engine MAN Energy Solutions has produced to date. The engine has a maximum continuous rating of 68,640 kW.

With a length of 366 m, beam of 51 m and a capacity of 14,681 TEU, CMA CGM Tenere has been chartered from EPS by French container shipping company CMA CGM.

EPS chief executive Cyril Ducau said “The successful gas and sea trials and the on-schedule delivery of CMA CGM Tenere make for an important MAN and EPS milestone. Three years ago, we committed to investing in alternative marine fuels, like LNG, to lead the industry towards decarbonisation and environmental preservation. This commitment included selecting MAN’s high-pressure ME-GI engines, which are highly efficient and, importantly, reduce methane slippage to negligible levels.” Added Mr Ducau, “These vessels will be IMO 2030 compliant years ahead of schedule and will be the cleanest vessels of their category on the water today.”

MAN Energy Solutions reported that the engine incorporates several technical developments, including a PVU and pilot booster injection valve (PBIV), in line with the company’s strategy to increasingly supply more complete propulsion solutions.

MAN Energy Solutions senior vice president and head of two-stroke business Bjarne Foldager said “The ME-GI engine is mature technology that has accumulated multiple references in multiple segments and is further improved by the introduction of the PVU, which ensures an optimal integration between the engine and supply system.”

HHI-EMD announced the completion of the shop test for the first of the six ME-GI engines at the end of January 2020. MAN Energy Solutions reported at that time that the engine had successfully run at 100% load in gas mode during testing, capably handling load-changes and maintaining an impeccable cylinder condition.

The engine passed its FAT (factory acceptance test) and performed according to expectations without the need for additional testing.

MAN Energy Solutions now has over 300 references for its dual-fuel portfolio of two-stroke engines – all running on LNG or alternative fuels such as LPG and methanol. ME-GI operational-hours on LNG alone now exceed the 1M mark.

The completion of the EPS gas trial marks the commercial debut of the PVU8000, the largest PVU ever produced by MAN Energy Solutions. The PVU ensures the flow of LNG through a compact design that – through individual control of the cryogenic pumps (cold-ends) – provides the redundancy required to ensure high reliability at all times, said MAN Energy Solutions.

The engine also has MAN Energy Solutions’ new PBIV, which employs smaller or larger atomising holes – depending on fuel mode – to inject fuel into engines. As such, in gas mode, the use of smaller holes significantly reduces pilot-oil consumption to just 1.5%, about half of what was previously required; diesel mode employs the larger-sized holes.
The PBIV valves represent MAN Energy Solutions’ latest pilot-injection technology, which caters for dual-fuel running by optimising specific pilot oil consumption.