Gas Operation News

MAN Energy Solutions has announced that it is developing an oxidation catalyst for four-stroke engines that will significantly reduce methane slip. Called ‘IMOKAT II’ and developed at MAN Energy Solutions’ headquarters in Augsburg, Germany, the research project is currently undergoing testing at the company’s Frederikshavn, Denmark facility.Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action, the new project will investigate the operational experience of a pre-turbo methane-oxidation catalyst…

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group has ordered 10 MAN B&W 7G80ME-C10.5-GI engines in connection with the construction of 10 7,000-teu containerships for Seaspan Corporation, the world's largest, independent container vessel owner.The contract includes an option for five further vessels. Engine delivery is scheduled from October 2023 to 2024; Seaspan has  already chartered the ships on long-term contracts.Upon completion, the newbuildings will become the largest ME-GI-powered container vessels built by a Chinese shipyard.Thomas S.

Eying recent demand increases and oil prices recovery in the international market, Brazil's largest tug operator says it is ramping up to support a growing number of offshore oil and gas projects expected to take off in the coming years.Globally, around 30 production floater contracts are now queued up for award over the next 18 months, assuming no major market disruption occurs and the supply chain can absorb the orders within this time frame, according to an in-depth market analysis recently completed by International Maritime Associates/World Energy Reports.Wilson Sons…

MAN Energy Solutions has has demonstrated its latest low-speed, dual-fuel engine—an MAN B&W ME-GA type designed for liquefied natural gas (LNG)/fuel-oil running—at a ceremony live-streamed from its Copenhagen Research Center on Thursday. The new engine is an Otto-cycle variant of the company’s ME-GI engine.As its pre-mixed combustion results in low NOx emissions, the ME-GA engine is inherently Tier II and Tier III compliant in gas-operation mode. To fully utilize its dual-fuel potential in Tier III areas…

China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) equipment service subsidiary CSSC Marine Service Co (CMS) said it has completed the first ever major overhaul on two WinGD X-DF engines—in only nine days.The twin 6X62DF engines overhauled belong to the first ever X-DF powered vessel in operation, 2017-built 180,000-cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier SK Audace, owned and operated by SK Shipping Co. LTD. The work was performed while the ship was at the Sabine Pass anchorage in Texas.In the three years since vessel delivery…

The biggest and most powerful liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled engine ever built has received type approval from classification society Bureau Veritas (BV), Switzerland-based engine manufacturer Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) said on Wednesday.BV awarded the approval for WinGD’s dual-fueled 12X92DF engines, the first series of which is currently being built by China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC) and will power nine ultra-large container ships (ULCS) -- the largest ever powered…

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has signed off on the conversion of a dredger to dual-fuel operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and marine gas oil (MGO), and which is powered by MAN 35/44DF engines.The conversion of the ‘Samuel de Champlain’ is the first of its kind in Europe and is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short-sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast.The 117m, 8,500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger is owned by Rouen-based GIE Dragages-Ports and operated by Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire.

"With the conversion of SAJIR, we are the first shipping company worldwide to convert a container vessel of this size to natural gas propulsion."  Richard von Berlepsch, Managing Director Fleet Management at Hapag-LloydIn its more than 170 years of existence, the Hamburg-based Hapag Lloyd  has used all kinds of solid and liquid fuels to generate energy for the propulsion of its ships. And now the shipping company has announced that it intends to convert the propulsion system of its 15…

The world’s first container feeder vessel refit to use natural gas was commissioned in late August in Bremerhaven, ushering in a new era in the use of alternative fuels across the global maritime sector. The container vessel Wes Amelie, owned by Wessels Reederei, Haren/Ems, was converted for the use of methane as a standard fuel at the German Dry Docks Shipyard in Bremerhaven, making it the world’s first of its kind vessel which consumes environmentally friendly methane. This conversion is more than simply another environmentally advanced ship…

The move toward LNG as fuel is gaining momentum quickly, driven not only by newbuild installations but now by companies signing on to convert existing ships to the environmentally friendly solution. Germany's Wessels Reederei -- which was the first company in the world to convert a containership to LNG fuel, signed a letter of intent with MAN Diesel & Turbo regarding the conversion of three of its fleet to dual-fuel gas operation. The three ships are sisters to the Wes Amelie…

At the Our Ocean 2017 Conference recently concluded in Malta, MAN Diesel and Turbo made a unique pledge that to furthering the use of LNG as fuel onboard commercial ships. “We clearly recognize that our interests are best served by ensuring that the world’s oceans remain in robust, good health," said Wayne Jones, OBE, Chief Sales Officer of MAN Diesel & Turbo. "MAN Diesel & Turbo believes that it is time for what we call a ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ to find clean solutions for seaborne trade and transportation. My company set a new benchmark with the world’s first conversion of a container ship from conventional fuel to gas operation.

The use of LNG in marine applications is becoming increasingly common. It offers a big potential in terms of operating costs and emission reduction. Diesel engines converted to dual-fuel show considerably reduced emissions in case of high conversion ratios. Depending on the emission standard which is required, expensive and unwieldy exhaust aftertreatment systems can become unnecessary or their implementation costs are significantly lower. The engine performance is comparable to gas engines. HEINZMANN, a specialist in engine and turbine management solutions, offers dual-fuel retrofit systems for a wide range of diesel engines to be converted to gas operation and at the same time providing all the safety features required for marine applications.

MTU’s new gas engine for commercial marine applications – the first from Rolls-Royce – has undergone some 3,000 hours on the test bench and is now ready to enter series production as the first high-speed pure-gas marine engine. “We can now confirm that the engine meets both our requirements and those of our customers: its performance and its acceleration behavior are similar to the excellent characteristics of a diesel engine,” said Dr. Ulrich Dohle, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG.

The first dual-fuel two-stroke engine employing the low-pressure X-DF gas admission technology developed by Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) has passed the final milestone in its evolution from a technical concept to commercial operation as a marine main engine. The 5-cylinder, 500 mm bore, Wärtsilä RT-flex50DF engine employing X-DF technology is installed as the main engine driving a single propeller in the Ternsund, a low emissions 15,000 DWT chemical tanker. Ternsund was undertaken by AVIC International Ship Development (China) Co., Ltd. (AVIC SHIP), Shanghai, China and completed by AVIC Dingheng Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Jiangdu, China for Terntank Rederi A/S…

Chevron Corporation announced that its Australian subsidiaries have signed a non-binding Heads of Agreement (HoA) with ENN LNG Trading Company Limited (ENN) for the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China from the Chevron-operated Gorgon natural gas project in Australia. When the deal is finalized, ENN is expected to receive up to 0.5 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG over 10 years, with deliveries starting in 2018 or the first half of 2019. “This is one more step in the development of our Australian gas business and our global LNG portfolio…

Chevron Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, Chevron U.S.A. Inc., has today signed a non-binding liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply Heads of Agreement (HOA) with China Huadian Green Energy Co., Ltd. When the agreement is finalized, China Huadian Green Energy is expected to receive up to 1 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG over 10 years starting in 2020. "This is an important step in the commercialization of Chevron's natural gas holdings in Australia and the establishment of our global liquefied natural gas portfolio," said Pierre Breber, executive vice president, Chevron Gas and Midstream. "We welcome the opportunity to…

Nakilat, in association with Qatari LNG producers Qatargas and RasGas Company Limited and engine manufacturer MAN Diesel & Turbo, recently celebrated the success of the ME-GI project involving the retrofit of chartered Q-Max vessel, Rasheeda, with a gas-burning M-Type Electronically Controlled – Gas Injection (ME-GI) System, which has now been successfully commissioned. The Qatari-owned Q-Max vessel is the world’s first low-speed marine diesel engine to be converted to use LNG as a fuel. The retrofit modification meets the current known and future stated global emissions regulations. Nakilat’s Rasheeda built in 2010 is a 266,000 m3 LNG carrier with two MAN B&W S70ME-C HFO-burning engines, which have been converted to the dual-fuel ME-GI concept.

The first Wärtsilä low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel (DF) engine destined for a commercial application has reportedly completed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at a Chinese licensee of Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), the Switzerland-based designer, developer and licensor of Wärtsilä brand low-speed two-stroke engines. The engine is a five cylinder, 50 cm bore 5RT-flex50DF built by Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd. (YCMP) at its factory in Doumen, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, in the South of the People’s Republic of China.

The first Wärtsilä low-speed two-stroke dual-fuel (DF) engine destined for a commercial application has reportedly completed its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) at a Chinese licensee of Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), the Switzerland-based designer, developer and licensor of Wärtsilä brand low-speed two-stroke engines. The engine is a five cylinder, 50 cm bore 5RT-flex50DF built by Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd. (YCMP) at its factory in Doumen, Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, in the South of the People’s Republic of China.

At the beginning of 2015 the exhaust limit values for sulfur oxides (SOx) grew ever tighter in emission controlled areas. And with the start of 2016, nitrogen oxides (NOx) values in certain emission control areas (ECAs) will be even more restricted. Dual fuel engines such as the newly developed MaK M 46 DF from Caterpillar help to support the drive for cleaner emissions in the maritime sector. Able to alternate from gas to diesel mode during operation, the new engine range offers the flexibility to operate vessels reliably in all geographical areas…

The Indonesian government has scrapped the long-awaited Cilamaya port project in Karawang district, West Java province, and is seeking a better location in Subang or Indramayu. The Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who visited Cilamaya with several ministers, including Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Indroyono Susilo and Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan, said the new port would be built east of Cilamaya, either in Subang or Indramayu. The decision followed protest from state oil and gas company Pertamina that shipping activity would hamper oil surveys and operations in that area. Kalla said after a meeting at office of the Tanjungjaya village chief, the location has to be moved to better guarantee shipping safety and not to hamper Pertamina operation there.

Chevron Corporation today announced its Australian subsidiaries have signed a binding Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) with SK LNG Trading Pte Ltd (SK). Under the SPA, SK LNG Trading, which is part of a leading industrial conglomerate in South Korea, will receive 4.15 million tons of LNG over a five-year period starting in 2017. During the time of this agreement, over 75 percent of Chevron’s equity LNG from Gorgon will be committed to customers in Asia. “This agreement is an important step in the commercialization of Chevron’s significant natural gas holdings in Australia,” said Pierre Breber, president, Chevron Gas and Midstream.

The 3,100-teu container ship ordered by American marine transportation company TOTE, will be powered by an all-MAN package including main engine, auxiliary engines and turbochargers
. The recent delivery of the world’s first dual-fuel, low-speed ME-GI engine from Doosan Engine to National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) has set a new, historical milestone in engine technology, say MAN Diesel & Turbo. The 8L70ME-C8.2-GI main engine is aspirated by 2 × TCA66 turbochargers and in addition the ship will receive 3 × 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines, each featuring a single TCR18 turbocharger. A second, identical vessel is currently under construction.