BW Group Orders ME-GI 2-Strokes from MAN Diesel & Turbo

5G70ME-GI 2-stroke diesel engine, via MAN Diesel & Turbo

BW Group’s 73,400 m³ LNG carrier newbuilds at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. (DSME) will be powered by pairs of MAN two-stroke ME-GI diesels according to the Danish engine manufacturer.

Four MAN B&W 5G70ME-GI engines were ordered for the two ships which are scheduled for delivery in late 2017/early 2018.  This order is the second such order for ME-GI engines from DSME since Teekay placed a similar order in 2012.

In a presentation in Copenhagen last week, MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Senior VP Ole Groene notes that 60 such ME-GI engines are currently on order from clients around the world.

MAN notes that to meet IMO Tier III emissions regulations, these engines “are inherently LNG-ready” as they can be seamlessly converted to utilize LNG as a fuel without major modifications to the engine.  The caveat however, according to comments last week by Senior VP Thomas Knudsen, is that converting an MAN 2-stroke ME-GI engine to LNG power may be a “simple” matter on the engine itself, however any shipowner that is looking to convert their ship to LNG power must also consider the issue of storing LNG as a fuel on board as well as the available space within the engine room.

Typical timelines for such a conversion are around 544 days, according to MAN.

For those that don’t go the LNG route, meeting IMO regulations involves outfitting these engines with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), which involves the catalytically accelerated reaction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia to form water and nitrogen, and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), which works by recirculating a portion of an engine’s exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders.

Beyond LNG however, are new fuels such as LPG and Methanol which are becoming increasingly interesting for shipowners.  MAN notes that their ME-LGI engine, similar in design to the ME-GI, is engineered to burn such fuels.