Swiss marine power company WinGD’s first methanol-fuelled engine is set to be delivered to the shipyard after passing factory and type approval tests.
The 10-cylinder, 92‑bore X-DF-M engine is destined for a 16,000 TEU containership and is the biggest ever methanol-fuelled engine.
There are 56 X-DF-M engines on order across bore sizes ranging from 52 to 92, in similar cylinder configurations and engine rating fields as diesel-fuelled X-Engines.
The addition of methanol capability to WinGD’s engine line-up further extends the decarbonisation options available to deep-sea ship operators, which include the long-established X-DF LNG-fuelled engine platform and a new ammonia-fuelled X-DF-A platform.
READ: WinGD secures ammonia-fuelled engine orders for Chinese gas carriers
The first X-DF-M engine will be installed on the fourth vessel of a new series.
The previous three engines were fitted with 10X92-B engines which will be converted to 10X92DF-M engines once the first, newbuild methanol engine is commissioned. Dual-fuel methanol conversion packages will be available for all WinGD single-fuel and dual-fuel engines.
“Production of sustainable, renewable fuels of all types continues to advance, but long-term availability and cost remain uncertain,” said Dominik Schneiter, CEO, WinGD.
“Ship operators can place their trust in WinGD to deliver reliable, efficient engine designs that enable decarbonisation across all candidate fuels.
“As interest in methanol and regulatory clarity increases, we anticipate the X-DF-M platform will become a key contributor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping.”
READ: WinGD secures engine orders for eight new LNG carriers
A spokesperson for CMD said: “It is a big responsibility to build the first engine of any type, especially one for an emerging fuel with the potential of methanol.
“Our debut methanol-fuelled engine performed as expected across all tests and we are looking forward to offering the X-DF‑M platform as a new option for shipbuilders.”
Earlier this month, WinGD announced that the on-engine NOx reduction solution for marine two-stroke engines will be used for the first time on commercial engines following type approval.
