US shipping company Matson Navigation and MAN Energy Solutions have signed a contract for the retrofit of the main engine aboard the ‘Daniel K. Inouye’, a container ship in the Matson fleet.
MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, MAN PrimeServ, will retrofit the 2018-built 3,600 TEU vessel’s MAN B&W 7S90ME-C engine to an MAN B&W 7S90ME-GI type, capable of operating on LNG and fuel oil. The contract includes an option for a second vessel.
Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofit and Upgrades, MAN Energy Solutions PrimeServ Denmark, said: “Retrofitting an MAN B&W engine to dual-fuel running is a straightforward, proven process as our standard, electronic diesel engines are already built as ‘dual-fuel ready’ and are therefore readily convertible. Dual-fuel retrofits offer a viable pathway to shipowners such as Matson who foster a company-wide ethic of environmental sustainability and wish to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Ultimately, when bio-LNG and SNG come on-line in sufficient volumes, ME-GI engines operating on these fuels will also satisfy such net-zero aspirations.”
MAN Energy Solutions states that, as the lowest carbon-intensity fuel, operation on LNG is projected to reduce the Daniel K Inouye’s CO2 emissions by 24% with a maximum, guaranteed, ultra-low methane slip of between 0.20-0.28 g/kWh across the load envelope.
As part of the retrofit solution, MAN Energy Solutions will provide a pump and vaporiser unit (PVU), the preferred high-pressure pump and vaporizer for MAN B&W ME-GI engines, which will be integrated into the Daniel K Inouye’s fuel gas supply system (FGSS). The PVU pressurises LNG to 300 bar and vaporises the liquefied fuel to gaseous form for supply to the main engine. Furthermore, its control system is based on that of the MAN B&W ME-GI engine and thus offers seamless integration and high performance in gas-mode.
Post-retrofit, the Daniel K. Inouye is expected to continue to operate on trans-Pacific routes between the US West Coast and Asia from mid-2023.
