MAN sees ‘surge’ in orders for ME-GA engine

MAN Energy Solutions said it has landed 40 orders for its MAN B&W ME-GA engine – the latest addition to its dual-fuel portfolio –its market unveiling in March 2021.

The company attributes the order surge to the market’s demand for the latest generation of Otto-cycle, two-stroke engines and the low levels of methane slip it can unlock.

“We had high expectations for the ME-GA upon its launch as we recognized a strong desire – primarily from the LNG carrier market – for an alternative to our successful ME-GI engine,” said Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions. “Judging alone by the fact that ME-GA has won references from all three major shipyards in Korea, these expectations have been met and even exceeded.”

Graphical rendering of an MAN B&W G70ME-GA engine. MAN Energy Solutions said it has seen a ‘surge’ in orders for its ME-GA dual fuel engine.

Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, said the ME-GA comes with high-pressure EGR as standard, a technology the company has refined over the past decade.

“The increased focus on methane-slip reduction – as well as other operational/technical benefits – has established EGR technologies as the new standard for contemporary LNG-carrier design featuring Otto-cycle engines,” Hansen said.

As its pre-mixed combustion results in low NOx emissions, the ME-GA engine is inherently Tier 2 and Tier 3 compliant in gas-operation mode. EGR enables the significant reduction of methane slip, while simultaneously improving fuel efficiency in both gas and fuel-oil operation, the company said.

“The ME-GA engine is just MAN Energy Solutions’ latest initiative to decarbonize shipping and further the maritime energy transition to sustainable fuels,” Foldager said. “Our dual-fuel engines continue to act as standard bearers for environmentally-friendly, reliable propulsion-technology with their seamless switching between fuels. Ultimately, we expect the ME-GA to become standard among LNG carriers.”

MAN Energy Solutions aims to start testing the first, commercial ME-GA design by the end of this year, with the first engine delivery scheduled for early 2022.

About ME-GA

The MAN B&W ME-GA engine delivers a low CAPEX solution aimed at certain vessel types and applications, such as LNG carriers, that are able to use ‘boil-off’ gas as a source of fuel. It could also be of appeal to smaller vessels where low capital outlay is a priority.

Based MAN B&W dual-fuel design with minimal installation requirements, the MAN B&W ME-GA uses an efficient ignition concept and unique gas-admission system that delivers safe and reliable operation.

The ME-GA furthermore features minimal operational costs, simple supply and purging concepts, and low maintenance costs for its fuel-gas supply system. With Tier 3 compliance in gas mode, the engine meets all current and upcoming NOx emission regulations with the addition of EGR.

The ME-GA joins the well-established ME-GI Diesel-cycle engine in MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke-engine portfolio, which now offers both low- and high-pressure, dual-fuel solutions for operation on LNG.