Chinese emissions legislation could be boon, MAN Energy Solutions says

MAN Energy Solutions said China’s Stage 2 emissions standard set to enter into force in July 2021 could be “excellent opportunity” for its small-bore engines.

The legislation, commonly known as the C2-emission standard (GB15097 regulation), will primarily apply to inland waterways, coastal areas and most rivers, covering domestic bulk carriers, feeder containers, oil tankers, passenger RoRos and government vessels. MAN Energy Solution said it expects the introduction of C2 to grow sales of its small-bore, four-stroke MAN L21/31 engine type as a result.

Directive limits relate not just to NOx and hydrocarbons (HC) but also to particulate matter (PM), which is attracting increased focus from the maritime industry. The company said those limits are particularly challenging for type 2 marine engines with single-cylinder displacements of under 15 L, and an overall power output of less than 2000 kW.

The MAN L21/31 engine.

“As soon as C2 came on the horizon, we realized it was an excellent opportunity for our MAN L21/31 engine, whose compactness, low fuel-oil consumption and power rating make it particularly suited to this segment,” said Finn Fjeldhøj, head of Small-Bore, Four-Stroke Engineering, MAN Energy Solutions. “Extensive testing shows that it complies with C2 particulate-matter limits without needing a particulate filter, while an SCR system will be required to meet NOx requirements. In practice, such an SCR system will be sparingly employed to optimise engine efficiency and limit after-treatment operational expenses. We are confident that this practical solution will win favour in vessels sailing Chinese inland-waterways.”

MAN Energy Solutions states that the L21/31 can fulfill classification requirements as both controllable-pitch-propeller (CPP) propulsion and genset applications. Based on recent research, MAN is already capable of pursuing the engine’s official emission certificates from the China Classification Society but continues to develop more advanced solutions with its licensees to further reduce the environmental impact of the engine, as well as customers’ operational costs.