SAL Heavy Lift to Install Industry-First Green Injection Technology

Photo: MarineTraffic.com/Juergen Braker

Hamburg-based SAL Heavy Lift is moving forward with a project to install six of its vessels with new emissions-reducing hydrogen/methanol injection technology.

In doing so, SAL Heavy Lift will become the first shipping company in the world to adopt the green-tech system to its vessels.

The injection technology has been developed by FUELSAVE GmbH. By dynamically injecting a mix of hydrogen, oxygen, water, and methanol into specific parts of the air intake of both the main engine and the auxiliary engines, the system, known as FS MARINE+, will lead to a much cleaner and thorough combustion process, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.

According to FUELSAVE, the FS MARINE+ generator has proven average reductions of 10% less CO2, 15% less SOx, 30-80% less NOx and 40% less particle emissions.

The system is now entering the next stage of validation, at which point it will be permanently installed on six SAL vessels.

“SAL has always been a frontrunner when it comes to innovation and we are dedi- cated to make shipping more efficient and cleaner by using technologies that creates a long-lasting effect,” says Sebastian Westphal, Chief Technology Officer at SAL Heavy Lift.

The first vessel to be retroffited with the system will be the 2008-built MV Trina, with installation planned in the first quarter of 2020. Five more vessels are planned to follow.

“We have tested a prototype on a generator engine of our MV Annette over more than two years with very convincing results. The FS MARINE+ system not only achieved significant fuel savings, but also emission and air pollution reductions which was verified by 3rd parties both during field trials and in laboratory tests,” added Westphal.

Additional stakeholders in the project include EcoTune Marine, DNV GL as RO for Antigua and Barbuda flag, Carl Baguhn, MAN Energy solutions, M.A.C. System Solutions, AVL, and the flag state administration of Germany.

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