Matson selects MAN ME-GI for LNG con-ros
The two 3,500teu vessels will each be equipped with a 6G90ME-GI engine, but will run initially on fuel oil with no LNG fuel supply system to be installed initially. Speaking at The Motorship’s Gas Fuelled Ships Conference in Hamburg this week, Rene Sejer Laursen of MAN Diesel & Turbo noted that while the vessel was designed only as ‘gas ready’, installing the latest generation dual-fuel engines on construction offers Matson better performance than older generation single-fuel models.
The ships, which are destined for trades between the US west coast and Hawaii, will be delivered in 2019 and 2020. They are the latest in several dual-fuel projects for MAN in North America.
Vessels currently under construction also include the two largest ever Jones Act ships, powered by the biggest ME-GI engines (7S90ME-GI) built to date, for Matson at Aker Philadelphia. Two 3,200teu containerships powered by 8S70ME-GI engines and 8L28/32DF auxiliary engines are also being built, for Crowley at VT Halter.
Previous North American references for MAN’s dual-fuel technology include the first two LNG-powered containerships ever built, for Tote Inc (8L70ME-GI); the first LNG carrier to use and ME-GI engine, for Teekay (5G70ME-GI for two of 11 vessels); and the first ever methanol-fuelled two-stroke engines in operation for seven methane carriers chartered by Waterfront Shipping Co (6G50ME-LGI).
