- The new, high-speed four-stroke engines are planned for use with commercial shipping and yachts.
- Part of the company’s Net Zero at Power Systems programme, methanol is said to offer a number of advantages when looking to make shipping more climate-friendly – and ultimately climate neutral.
- Methanol can be used in a series of combustion engine types (Diesel and Otto), but also in combination with emission-free fuel cells.
- This will support climate-neutral operation across almost all applications.
Rolls-Royce has announced that it is attempting to adapt its MTU engines to run on methanol. Commercial shipping and yachts will benefit from the new high-speed four-stroke engines as reported by NPP.
Sustainable fuels
Part of the company’s Net Zero at Power Systems programme, methanol is said to offer a number of advantages when looking to make shipping more climate-friendly – and ultimately climate neutral.
The fuel can be produced in a CO2-neutral power-to-X process, in which CO2 is captured from the air for use in the process.
In addition, methanol has a high energy density in comparison to other sustainable fuels, while the liquid state supports easy storage and delivery at ambient temperatures.
In many cases, it can also be delivered using existing infrastructure, unlike hydrogen.
This would result in a lower investment point to realise a methanol production and refuelling infrastructure.
Methanol engine
Also, unlike ammonia, which is being explored by other companies as a shipping fuel, the company states that methanol is non-toxic and environmentally safe.
Rolls-Royce also pointed out that the combustion of methanol in a ‘pure methanol engine’ can be climate neutral, with significantly reduced nitrogen oxide emissions.
This negates the need for SCR treatment hardware.
Using a reformer, hydrogen can be produced from methanol, which can then be used in fuel cells to produce electricity.
This would be suitable for ships that do not have the space for hydrogen tanks.
Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce is planning to introduce the new generation of MTU Series 2000 and 4000 engines for use with sustainable fuels, including synthetic diesel, second-generation biofuels or e-diesel, from 2023.
This will support climate-neutral operation across almost all applications.
So-called ‘smart ship solutions’ using semi- and fully autonomous operations are also expected to help reduce CO2 emissions.
Rather, there will be a coexistence of different propulsion technologies and fuels.
“Hydrogen, for example, which is converted into energy in a fuel cell or even in a combustion engine, will be as much an issue for us and our customers as e-methanol, e-methane, e-diesel or e-ammonia.”
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Source: NPP
