Turbocharging into a low-emissions future

While the turbocharger is getting the treatment, Accelleron also works with enginebuilders and other OEMs which simultaneously make their own modifications. “This could include anything from changing injectors to modifying engine exhaust valve timing or changing the compression of the engine,” said Mr Reichmann, citing the benefit of a significant increase in main engine efficiency over the lower power range.

Obviously, one of the big attractions of EPLO is speed of execution. Although the upgrading of Clipper Hebe took two days, it can be done as quickly as one day. “We can combine turbocharging component upgrades with engine derating (limiting sailing speeds) to cut fuel consumption and lower emissions by an average of 3%, in some cases more,” said Mr Reichmann, who personally oversaw the work on the tanker.

“We do not change the turbocharger itself”

The time appears to be ripe for turbocharger upgrades. According to HD Hyundai Marine Solutions, which has been working with Accelleron since 2021, they are growing in importance in the era of alternative fuels. “The trend of reducing engine output levels to 60-70% of the original design power to comply with EEXI and CII as well, as the EU’s emissions standards, is increasing demand for optimisation solutions like EPLO, that can significantly enhance efficiency during slow speed,” said Hyundai.

As Accelleron explained, the underlying purpose is to make engines more efficient in their most commonly used power range. The size of the turbine and compressor is reduced and the main engine is derated, all while improving the engine’s efficiency over a power range of 20 to 85%.

Accelleron’s A100-L/A200-L series turbochargers for low-speed engines have high-efficiency and high-pressure ratios to increase engine performance.

Turbocharger refits

In the low-emissions, dual-fuel era there has been a rush towards turbocharger retrofits. Wallenius Wilhelmsen is in the middle of an eight-ship, EPLO programme for its car carriers, the first done in mid-2024 on Morning Concert. And in early 2024, Greek’s Neptune Lines Shipping signed up for four EPLO retrofits to its car carriers. All of these will be carried out with Hyundai.

Also waiting in the wings is Hoegh. After a successful EPLO upgrade to Hoegh Detroit that resulted in the equivalent of a 5% drop in fuel consumption, the group has booked in a further seven vessels with Hanwha Engine that has also partnered with Accelleron.

More potential customers are in the queue. The average age of the global fleet is 12.6 years, which is about half their lifetime. Although Accelleron believes its EPLO projects earn themselves out within three years, the real value may be that they add another decade or so of working life to the ship.

As Mr Reichmann said, the world’s shipping fleet must slow down. “The industry has an urgent mandate to cut emissions by 20-30% by 2030. That’s not a lot of time. The fastest way to do that is to reduce the power output. Even taking into account temporary power increases to navigate in storms and icy conditions, we can safely recalibrate the turbocharger and engine to run most efficiently at a lower percentage of their maximum continuous rating. That brings substantial fuel savings and emissions cuts.”

In short, it is all about fuel efficiency, whether ships are running on conventional or transitional fuels or expensive, future carbon-neutral fuels like methanol, ammonia and hydrogen and need to get every drop of energy out of them.

The technology is already on the table. While future carbon-neutral fuels will be critical to reaching net zero, a report commissioned by the IMO Future Fuels and Technology Project entitled Shipping GHG emissions 2030: Analysis of the Maximum Technical Abatement Potential states that global shipping emissions could be slashed by 28-47% by 2030. And fully half of that “could be accomplished through lower sailing speeds and other operational savings.”