Pioneering the path to Net-Zero: MAN Energy Solutions to highlight multi-fuel strategy at CIMAC

An overarching theme for us this year at CIMAC is future-fuels. MAN Energy Solutions remains convinced that, as opposed to one fuel dominating maritime bunkering, that a variety of environmentally-friendly fuels will win favour amongst the maritime fleet on the path to net-zero and we have a variety of papers reflecting such.

Ammonia then features in two papers:

• · The first investigates Ammonia as carbon-free fuel for maritime applications – combustion investigations and safety aspects

Carbon-free fuels are one of the options to fulfil the challenging GHG reduction targets adopted by the IMO in July 2023. This paper highlights different carbon-free and carbon-neutral fuels by comparing their general suitability for marine and power applications, respectively;

• · The second ammonia paper discusses Ammonia combustion. With transoceanic shipping needing to decarbonise in order to meet global greenhouse gas reduction targets, ammonia is widely considered a fuel of choice for decarbonising the shipping industry and the MAN B&W LGIA engine is now ready for commercial application.

Methanol is another future-fuel with great potential and MAN Energy Solutions will present a paper at CIMAC dedicated to the deduction of a customer-oriented methanol four-stroke engine portfolio.

Methanol is among the most promising fuels to meet the targeted emission reductions. The paper addresses the best suitable options for the utilisation of methanol in four-stroke marine engines, and the methodologies with which the methanol portfolio strategy was derived.

Hydrogen also features with the paper, Hydrogen-based ship propulsion, first-ever Large two-stroke engine tests with hydrogen.

The paper focuses on the fuel’s applicability to a MAN B&W large two-stroke marine diesel engine. Large two-stroke diesel engines are currently the de-facto standard for propulsion of large merchant ships due to their high efficiency and proven robustness. Hydrogen, as a carbon-free fuel for these engines, has thus vast potential for decarbonisation.

Methane is also discussed in a paper entitled From Lab to Machinery Space: Advances in Methane-slip catalyst technology & engine internal measures.

Methane slip and its climate impact have always been topics in gas engine development. MAN Energy Solutions is taking several steps to further reduce the methane emissions of its four-stroke engines and the paper presents a general overview of the measures and their effects.

Additionally, besides future-fuels, MAN Energy Solutions will also present papers on several other topics, including:

• · Upgrading the MAN 32/40 engine with the new TCF20 turbocharger;
• · Navigating Connectivity, Cyber Security and AI at Sea;
• · New retrofit solutions for MAN B&W marine two-stroke engines;
• · Modelling of in-cylinder processes of large, two-stroke -LGI engines using an integrated CFD-FEM tool.