Ship engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions will start developing retrofit solutions for medium-speed marine engines as part of a research association including WTZ Roßlau Gmbh and TU-Darmstadt.
The three-year research project called CliNeR-ECo is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action with initial work already underway.
CliNeR-ECo will develop concepts for diverse, medium-speed, marine engines that will enable the retrofitting of entire ship fleets at reasonable economic and technical costs.
The project is focusing on methanol with the intention being that results should quickly spawn other developmental projects for series production.
In this respect, MAN Energy Solutions is currently planning a first retrofit project based on a MAN 48/60 engine. The first retrofit of a fully functional test engine is scheduled to reach the testbed in 2024.
With these maritime retrofit technologies, ship owners will be offered solutions that enable their existing fleets to comply with future emission targets for greenhouse gases set to be introduced by the IMO and the EU from 2025 onwards.
“For us, the path to the decarbonisation of the maritime economy begins with the switch to climate-neutral fuels. In this context, methanol is an excellent candidate as it is climate-neutral when produced from green hydrogen,” Alexander Knafl, head of R&D four-stroke engines at MAN Energy Solutions, said.
“Electrification of the maritime industry is only possible in niche segments but not in so-called ‘long-distance shipping’. Energy sources such as carbon-neutral methanol and ammonia will therefore play a prominent role in the maritime sector in the future,” Christian Kunkel, head of combustion development at the R&D Four-Stroke Engines division of MAN Energy Solutions, added.
