Ro-ro shipping and vehicle logistics company Wallenius Wilhelmsen has ordered four MAN B&W 7S60ME-C10.5-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) dual-fuel engines capable of running on green methanol, in connection with the construction of four PCTC (Pure Car/Truck carrier) vessels.
The 9,300 CEU (Car Equivalent Unit) vessels will be built in China at the Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) and are scheduled for delivery from mid-2026 on; the order contains options for a further eight such vessels.
Xavier Leroi, EVP and COO Shipping Services, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said: “We are securing our position as our customers’ first choice in shipping and delivering on our strategy to provide a net-zero, emission-free, end-to-end service by 2027. We believe that methanol is the fastest way to net-zero emissions.”
Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “Methanol is gaining momentum within the PCTC segment off the back of strong Chinese car-manufacturing figures and the introduction of new emission regulations. Within the segment, Wallenius Wilhelmsen is a major player and one of the first movers to methanol based on its own journey towards net zero. We fully expect methanol to figure prominently as a future fuel across vehicle carriers and, indeed eventually, all vessel segments.”
Thomas S Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This will be the second newbuilding project within the PCTC segment that features our S60-LGIM engine. The shipping industry is showing an increasing interest in decarbonisation by operating vessels on green methanol and these engines will provide significant emission reductions. The ME-LGIM concept is proven and still the only such concept that has entered commercial operation. Currently, our total ME-LGIM orders stand at over 150 engines. This includes more than 23 already in operation and that have accumulated more than 500,000 running hours since first entering service in 2016.”
MAN Energy Solutions developed the ME-LGIM dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol, as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on the company’s ME-series, which has about 8,500 engines in service, and works according to the Diesel principle. When operating on green methanol, the engine offers carbon-neutral propulsion for large merchant-marine vessels. According to the company, methanol carriers have already operated at sea for many years using the engine, and, as such, the ME-LGIM has a proven track record offering reliability and fuel-efficiency.
