MAN to Supply Engines to Hartmann LPG Tankers

MAN Energy Solutions has won the contract to supply individual liquid gas injection propane (LGIP) dual-fuel engines for three 5000-m3 LPG tankers currently under construction by CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering in Shanghai for Hartmann Carriers, a German shipping company. Each newbuilding will receive a propulsion package with one 5S35ME-LGIP engine, an alpha controllable pitch propeller, PTO, and propulsion control system.

According to MAN, it plans to introduce its new Triton control platform with the engines. The Triton controller platform is designed for MAN’s entire, two-stroke engine portfolio. The company commented that Triton will deliver extra computing power, a faster network, and I/O flexibility to face future demands and incorporates cyber security by design.

MAN’s two-stroke licensee, CMD, will construct the engines in Lingang, China, with delivery scheduled during the latter half of 2021. The contract contains an option for two additional vessels.

Bjarne Foldager, MAN senior vice president and head of two-stroke business said, “After the success of our dual-fuel ME-GI engine running on ethane, orders for our ME-LGIP variant capable of running on LPG are now taking off—a situation we are very pleased with. That the engines in this order form part of an MAN Energy Solutions’ package fits perfectly with our desire to increasingly supply complete propulsion solutions.”

In gas mode, the ME-LGIP engine operates on 3% pilot oil and down to 10% load. MAN expects the engine to ultimately operate without pilot oil. The engine can also burn liquid volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a move the company said is designed to anticipate potential IMO regulation on reducing VOCs.

Interest in using LPG as a fuel, within and outside the LPG carrier segment, is growing due to the fuel’s sulfur-free composition, widespread availability, and ease of bunkering. MAN reported that the ME-LGIP engine has experienced up to an 18% reduction in CO2 and approximately 90% reduction in particulate matter when running on LPG, compared with HFO.

A market leader in the dual-fuel segment, MAN’s dual-fuel portfolio recently crossed the 1 million operating-hour mark and the company also recently announced its 300th engine sale for the segment.

SOURCE: The Weekly Propane Newsletter, May 28, 2020. Weekly Propane Newsletter subscribers receive all the latest posted and spot prices from major terminals and refineries around the U.S. delivered to inboxes every week. Receive a center spread of posted prices with hundreds of postings updated each week, along with market analysis, insightful commentary, and much more not found elsewhere.