LNG heralds greener era for VW car carriers
Launched on 15 November, the Siem Confucius and Siem Aristotle are powered by a MAN Energy Solutions’ propulsion solution and are the first, trans-Atlantic pure car truck carriers (PCTC) to operate full-time on LNG.
Mikael Adler, vice president, head of region Asia Pacific – engines and marine systems, represented MAN Energy Solutions at the event and said the launch was the culmination of several years’ work. “These vessels represent a new departure and a new ambition with their LNG-fuelled propulsion solution heralding a new era of diminishing emissions within trans-Atlantic shipping as well as within the global, car-manufacturing supply chain.
“This ties in perfectly with MAN Energy Solutions’ belief that it is time for a ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ to find clean, decarbonised solutions for seaborne trade and transportation,” he said,
The vessels feature individual MAN B&W S60ME-GI dual-fuel, two-stroke engines that deliver 12,600 kW with direct injection and exhaust-gas treatment to further reduce emissions. Each main engine is accompanied by two 9L28/32DF and one 7L28/32DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines and the vessels are driven by a four-bladed 6.95m diameter MAN Alpha fixed pitch propeller of Kappel design.
MAN reports that these are the first L28/32DF units approved for Tier III operation without selective catalytic reduction and are also the first 28/32DF engines to be built in a 7-cylinder variant. All GenSets are turbocharged by individual MAN TCR 16 (for the 9L28/32DF units) or TCR 18 (for the 7L28/32DF units) turbochargers, with the entire set-up overseen by MAN’s proprietary SaCoS engine-control system.
