An LNG engine conversion project has enabled a ship to reduce its SOx emissions by 99%.
The project involved the retrofitting of the MAN 8L48/60B main engine of Wessels Reederei’s 1,036-teu feeder container Wes Amelie to a multi-fuel, four-stroke MAN 51/60DF unit that enables dual-fuel operation and saw the vessel further reduce NOx by approximately 90%, and CO2 by up to 20%.
“By providing customers with the technology to retrofit their existing fleet, we are driving what we call the maritime energy transition,” said Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Diesel & Turbo. “There are roughly 40,000 cargo vessels in operation worldwide. If we are serious about decarbonisation and want the shipping industry to be climate neutral by 2050, we need to take action today.”
IMO compliance
The retrofit – believed to be the first such conversion of its type – was carried out at German Dry Docks in Bremerhaven in cooperation with TGE Marine Engineering, who provided tank and LNG components. Bureau Veritas classed the conversion.
Christian Hoepfner, general manager of Wessels Reederei, explained that the Wes Amelie, constructed in 2011, operates in the Nordic and Baltic Seas within emission control areas.
The vessel now meets both the Tier II and Tier III emission requirements set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Follow-up projects are expected to be easily implemented with minimal cost as 16 of Wes Amelie’s sister ships have an identical structure.
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Source: The Motorship
