Hanwha Ocean orders ME-GI engines for LNG carrier newbuilds

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has ordered four MAN B&W 5G70ME-GI Mk10.5 engines in connection with the construction of two 174,000 cubic meter LNG carriers for an undisclosed shipowner. Hanwha Engine Co. will build the engines in South Korea and the contract contains an option for engines for two additional vessels. Each engine will come integrated with MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary EGRBP (Exhaust Gas Recirculation ByPass) system. “It’s very satisfying to see our ME-GI engine orders also pick up momentum within the important LNG carrier segment,” said Bjarne Foldager, head of two-stroke business, MAN Energy Solutions. “The ME-GI’s mature technology delivers guaranteed, extremely low levels of methane slip that make it the most future-proof methane engine on the market.”

“To date, we have achieved a total of more than 890 ME-GI references, either on order or in service, with over 110 of those within the LNGC segment alone,” said Christian Ludwig, head of two-stroke sales and promotion, MAN Energy Solutions. “The ME-GI engine has several favourable characteristics, including a best-in-class performance, the highest thermal efficiency for methane-fuelled two-stroke engines, as well as millions of reliable operating hours. The ME-GI – not being sensitive to fuel properties – is furthermore capable of operating on bio-methane and synthetic natural gas that render it net-zero, providing a viable decarbonization pathway for shipowners.” MAN Energy Solutions says that the successful ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine has set a new industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard – among others – RO/RO vessels, PCTCs, container vessels, bulk carriers, tankers and LNG carriers. “The ME-GI engine provides ship owners, charterers and operators with a peerless solution within environmentally friendly and high-efficiency, two-stroke technology but without the prominent methane-slip emissions that are characteristic of competing engines,” says the company. “These design merits have made the engine the standard propulsion system for the LNG-fueled fleet.”

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. Additionally, the ME-GI’s operational principles feature a seamless change-over between gas and diesel operation. The ME-GI engine is the most environmentally-friendly technology available within the LNG-fuelled, two-stroke engine segment.

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 sustainable fuels such as green methanol.