MAN Energy, Stena and Proman partner on dual-fuel retrofit

Pictured at the signing of the MoU (left to right): Alexander Knafl, MAN Energy Solutions; Peter Schild, director of marine fuels, Proman; Ron Gerlach, technical director, Stena; Hans Tistrand, Stena; and Bernd Siebert, head of Retrofit & Upgrades, MAN PrimeServ. (Photo: MAN Energy Solutions)

MAN Energy Solutions has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with both Stena Teknik, the R&D division of Swedish shipping line Stena AB, and global methanol producer Proman to jointly develop a solution to retrofit MAN 48/60 engines for dual-fuel capability using diesel and methanol. The agreement is an extension of a partnership announced last year by Stena and Proman to develop a methanol retrofit and fuel supply solution.

“MAN Energy Solutions is happy to work with industry partners on decarbonizing the marine segment, a sentiment that Stena and Proman happily share,” said Stefan Eefting, head of PrimeServ Germany, MAN Energy Solutions’ service brand. “Methanol has great potential as a future fuel and is clean, efficient and safe to work with. It offers significant greenhouse gas reductions, and is even net-zero when produced from renewable energy sources. I’m certain that many interested parties will be watching this retrofit’s progress.”

The project will launch with a feasibility study to define the scope and limits of the project, division of work and respective responsibilities of the partners. “The primary aim of this is to investigate methanol combustion according to the Otto combustion principle with MeOH port fuel injection due to the inherent advantages for legacy installations,” MAN Energy Solutions stated. “Developments on MeOH direct injection technology for newbuilds and the potential for later retrofits may also be considered here.”

Upon the study’s completion, the next phase of the project would be the retrofit of the engine(s), commissioning and field testing. If field testing is successful, the engine would then be ready for handover for commercial operation.