Jiangnan Shipyard, owned by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), has ordered an LPG (liquefied propane gas)-burning MAN B&W 6G60ME-LGIP engine in connection with the building of an 86,000-m³ VLGC (Very Large Gas Carrier) for Tianjin Southwest Maritime (TSM), the Chinese shipping company. Vessel delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2021 and includes an option for a second vessel.

The new ME-LGIP (-Liquid Gas Injection Propane) engine, revealed in September 2018, builds on the success the company has had with its ME-GI and ME-LGI dual-fuel engines, which have won more than 250 orders since their introduction to the market.

LGIP engine.

With a new injection concept, initially developed for methanol, the ME-LGI concept greatly expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio and enables the exploitation of more low-flash-point fuels such as ethanol, dimethyl ether and, now, LPG. Employing essentially the same proven technology, LPG has now been added to the expanding list of non-HFO (heavy fuel oil) and alternative fuels that MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke technology can exploit.

The engine’s ‘ME-’ prefix indicates that the new engine benefits from well-proven electronic controls that also encompass the fuel being injected by the Fuel Booster Injection Valve (FBIV). This innovative fuel booster, specially developed for the ME-LGI engine, ensures that a low-pressure fuel-gas supply system can be employed, significantly reducing first-time costs and increasing reliability.

LPG unit.

The diesel principle provides the ME-LGIP engine with high operational stability and efficiency, including during load changes and fuel change-over, while defining properties such as a stable change-over from one fuel type to another with no fuel-penalties are maintained. The negligible gas slip of the ME-LGIP engine makes it the most environmentally friendly, two-stroke technology available, MAN said.

The ME-LGIP engines feature a low-pressure supply system and an injection pressure of 500-600 bar.

MAN B&W ME-LGIP engines are designed to be dual-fueled with diesel fuels and LPG as equal alternatives for operation. Furthermore, the ME-LGIP engine is flexible with regard to LPG composition and finds even LPG qualities containing significant amounts of ethane acceptable.

LGIP research engine.

MAN Energy Solutions reports that the ME-LGIP engine has experienced an up to 18% reduction in CO₂ and circa 90% reduction in particulate matter when running on LPG, compared with HFO.

The ME-LGI came about due to interest from the shipping world in operating on alternatives to HFO. Methanol and LPG carriers have already operated at sea for many years and many more LPG tankers are currently being built as the global LPG infrastructure grows. With a viable, convenient and comparatively cheap fuel already onboard, it makes sense to use a fraction of the cargo to power the vessel with an important, side-benefit being its positive, environmental performance. MAN Energy Solutions expects strong demand for the ME-LGIP engine from VLGCs and coastal vessels.

The development of the ME-LGIP engine to burn LPG is part of the Maritime Energy Transition, an umbrella term that covers all MAN Energy Solutions activities in regard to supporting a climate-neutral shipping industry.

The term stems from the German expression Energiewende and encapsulates MAN Energy Solutions’ call to action to reduce emissions and establish natural gases as the fuels of choice in global shipping. It promotes a global ‘turn to gas’, driven by the IMO, and a common approach by the shipping industry and politics to invest in infrastructure development and retrofits.

With 2020 and the new IMO emissions fast approaching, interest in using LPG as a fuel—within and outside of the LPG carrier segment—is growing due to its sulfur-free character, widespread availability, price competitivity, and ease of bunkering. At MAN Energy Solutions, we feel that the introduction of the ME-LGIP is proving timely.

—Bjarne Foldager – Senior Vice President, Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions

MAN Energy Solutions won the first orders for the new engine earlier in 2018 when Hanjin Heavy Industries announced that it would construct 2 × VLGCs (Very Large Gas Carriers) in their Philippines Facilities for Exmar, the Belgian integrated gas-shipping company. The 86,000 m³ newbuildings will each be powered by an individual MAN B&W 6G60ME-LGIP Mk9.5 engine.

The company also announced the first retrofit orders for the ME-LGIP in September 2018 when it signed a contract with Oslo-listed BW LPG for the world’s first retrofitting of four MAN B&W 6G60ME-C9.2 HFO-burning engines to 6G60ME-C9.5-LGIP LPG-propelled dual-fuel engines. The order includes options for further retrofits in the future with work expected to begin during 2020.

In gas mode, the ME-LGIP engine operates on just 3% pilot oil and down to 10% load. Ultimately, we expect the engine to operate without the need for pilot oil. The ME-LGIP can also burn liquid volatile organic compounds, a deliberate move on our part since the IMO will inevitably turn its focus towards the reduction of volatile organic compounds in the future. Accordingly, we view the ME-LGIP as also ideally suited to the propulsion of shuttle tankers and very large crude carriers.

—Bjarne Foldager