Type approval for first SK pure gas engine

The L22G pure gas engine successfully obtained type approval from KR in December 2019 following tests on the medium-speed test engine at KR’s green-ship equipment certification centre in Gunsan, Jeonbuk.

The 220mm bore engine has a power range of 1,200-2,400kW. but the engine maker plans to eventually extend the power range from 650-10,000kW.

The engine designer plans to market the engine as a solution for small and medium-sized and small-sized coastal ships.

The engine is the first pure gas LNG engine to be developed for ship propulsion in Korea. The development project has received support from Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s core technology development programme for the maritime sector.

The engine designer expects demand for LNG-fuelled vessels to increase in Korea once domestic legislation to encourage the development, dissemination and promotion of eco-friendly ships in Korea enters effect.

The company expects the new pure gas engine to limit demand for imported pure gas engines. It also plans to extend the solution into the stationary energy generation market, where STX Engine has experience of marketing LNG-powered solutions.