Tsuneishi inks methanol-fuelled bulker contract

The contract relates to the supply of a MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) engine for the project.

The vessel represents the latest methanol-fuelled engine ordered by the bulk-carrier segment in recent weeks. MAN Energy Solutions notes that there has been a strong increase in the proportion of dual-fuel engines capable of operating on methanol in its recent order intake. The engine maker notes that orders for its ME-LGIM engine have surpassed orders for its dual-fuel ME-GI engine since the beginning of 2023.   

Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Low-Speed, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “In a market that has seen a rapidly increasing demand for decarbonised transport from its major players, the interest in methanol as a fuel has surged and – at this moment in time – represents more than 30% of all our current, open pipeline projects across a broad range of vessel segments. As such, seeing bulk carriers now also entering this fuel segment is completely in line with our expectations and these newbuildings will benefit greatly from the option to operate either on methanol or conventional fuel with equally high fuel efficiency.”

Sachio Okumura, Representative Director and President & Executive Officer of Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, said: “For TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING, which is striving to build methanol-fuelled ships with the aim of becoming a front-runner in next-generation-fuelled ships, securing a high-value-added engine through this contract is an extremely important step. We will continue to focus on technological innovation together with engine manufacturers in order to provide our customers with zero-emission ships that are both environmentally friendly and economical.”

Ichiro Tanaka, President and Representative Director of Mitsui E&S Machinery, said: “Customers are increasingly interested in next-generation fuels, and methanol is one of the promising fuels. We have a track record of manufacturing dual-fuel engines such as LNG-fired engines, and in 2015 delivered the world’s first methanol engine as the main engine for a methanol carrier. Taking advantage of this adoption for bulk carriers, we will continue to meet the various needs of our customers, provide engines that are environmentally friendly and economical, and contribute to the realization of a decarbonised society.”

As a fuel, methanol can be carbon-neutral when produced from renewable energy sources and bio-genic CO₂. The production capacity of such green methanol is currently increasing significantly; it is also liquid at ambient conditions, which simplifies tank design and minimises costs. MAN Energy Solutions reports that its methanol engine requires a fuel-supply pressure of just 13 bar and that a number of manufacturers already offer such fuel-supply systems today.