WinGD's first methanol-fuelled engine set for delivery

Swiss marine power company WinGD said its first methanol-fuelled engine has passed factory and type-approval tests and is being moved to the shipyard.

The first X-DF-M engine, a 10-cylinder, 92‑bore model, will power a 16,000-TEU container ship and is the largest methanol-fuelled engine built to date.

"There are 56 X-DF-M engines on order across bore sizes ranging from 52 to 92, in similar cylinder configurations and engine rating fields as diesel-fuelled X-Engines. The addition of methanol capability to WinGD’s engine line-up further extends the decarbonisation options available to deepsea ship operators, which include the long-established X-DF LNG-fuelled engine platform and a new ammonia-fuelled X-DF-A platform," the company said.

Chinese engine builder CMD held a delivery ceremony to mark the milestone build, at which eight classification societies were present for a signing of the X-DF‑M type-approval certification, which assures that the engine can be built to WinGD’s design by all engine builders.

"It is a big responsibility to build the first engine of any type, especially one for an emerging fuel with the potential of methanol. Our debut methanol-fuelled engine performed as expected across all tests and we are looking forward to offering the X-DF‑M platform as a new option for shipbuilders," the company said.

The company noted its first X-DF-M engine will be installed on the fourth vessel of a new series.

"The previous three engines were fitted with 10X92-B engines which will be converted to 10X92DF-M engines once the first newbuild methanol engine is commissioned. Dual-fuel methanol conversion packages will be available for all WinGD single-fuel and dual-fuel engines," WinGD said.