Matson signs contract for LNG retrofit

MAN PrimeServ, will retrofit the 3,600 teu vessel’s MAN B&W 7S90ME-C engine to an MAN B&W 7S90ME-GI gas injection engine, and the contract includes an option for a second vessel.

MAN Energy Solutions states that operation on LNG is projected to reduce the vessel’s CO2 emissions by 24% with a maximum, guaranteed, ultra-low methane slip of between 0.20-0.28 g/kWh across the load envelope.

As part of the retrofit solution, MAN Energy Solutions will also provide a pump and vaporizer unit (PVU), the preferred high-pressure pump and vaporizer for MAN B&W ME-GI engines, which will be integrated into the vessel’s fuel gas supply system. The PVU pressurises LNG to 300 bar and vaporises the liquefied fuel to gaseous form for supply to the main engine. Its control system is based on that of the MAN B&W ME-GI engine and thus offers seamless integration and high performance in gas-mode.

Post-retrofit, the Daniel K. Inouye is expected to continue to operate on trans-Pacific routes between the US West Coast and Asia from mid-2023.

With the ME-GI engine, two-stroke development has taken a step further by combining the unique properties of multi-fuel combustion and the well-known reliability of MAN Energy Solutions ME-engine. The Diesel principle not only provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, but also ensures 100% reliable operation during load changes on gas with just normal additions of pilot-oil amounts. The high-pressure Diesel cycle ensures complete combustion of gas, ensuring negligible methane slip. Furthermore, the ME-GI operational principles features a seamless change-over between gas operation and diesel operation.

MAN Energy Solutions has also developed an ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) dual-fuel engine that expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of other, alternative fuels such as LPG, methanol and ammonia.

Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofit & Upgrades at MAN Energy Solutions, PrimeServ Denmark, said: “Retrofitting an MAN B&W engine to dual-fuel running is a straightforward, proven process as our standard, electronic diesel engines are already built as ‘dual-fuel ready’ and are therefore readily convertible. Dual-fuel retrofits offer a viable pathway to shipowners such as Matson who foster a company-wide ethic of environmental sustainability and wish to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Ultimately, when bio-LNG and SNG come on-line in sufficient volumes, ME-GI engines operating on these fuels will also satisfy such net-zero aspirations.”