MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales brand, is now offering its customers the opportunity to retrofit older MAN 48/60 marine and power-plant engines to state-of-the-art MAN 51/60 types to prepare older engines already in service for future, climate-neutral operation. Converted engines will effectively be equivalent technically to newly built MAN 51/60 units. As a further option, newly converted engines can be upgraded for operation on synthetic fuels for a low premium.
The engine upgrade offering comes at a time where many owners are looking for solutions to comply with upcoming regulations with Splash reporting today that more than 75% of all tankers, bulkers and containerships are not Energy Efficiency Existing Index (EEXI) compliant with just 163 days to go until the key new rule comes into effect.
Stefan Eefting, senior vice president and head of MAN PrimeServ Germany, said: “With this lifecycle upgrade, we offer customers the opportunity not only to completely overhaul their old engines but also to upgrade them to the latest engine technology at the same time. The upgrade simultaneously prepares the engines for future operation with climate-neutral fuels without having to change the fuel type they use at this stage. This is because the 51/60 engine type enables further conversion to alternative fuels, making it a future-proof investment.”
A lifecycle upgrade can be carried out within 25 to 45 days – only about 30% longer than the time required for major maintenance.
“Due to the fuel and lube-oil savings from the upgrade and the elimination of ageing effects, we expect our customers to see a return on their investment within one-and-a-half to four years,” commented Marcel Lodder, sales manager at MAN PrimeServ and initiator of the lifecycle upgrade concept.
MAN Energy Solutions reports that calculations based on an exemplary business case have shown that upgrading a 9L48/60 engine to a 9L51/60 type can save around 500 tons of fuel and 25 tons of lubricating oil per annum – based on an annual operating time of 6,000 hours under full load.
MAN PrimeServ has already successfully completed the first lifecycle upgrade for a southern European customer, converting an MAN 18V48/60A power-plant engine with over 100,000 operating hours to a modern MAN 18V51/60 unit.
