Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (MES) announced on 29 June that they have completed the world’s first ME-GIE ethane-operated two-stroke diesel engine. The engines will be for propulsion of three ethylene carriers, which primarily will carry liquid ethane as cargo.
The Mitsui-MAN B&W 7G50ME-C9.5-GIE is the third engine in a series of three for installation in three LEG (liquefied ethylene gas) carriers of 36,000 m3 for Hartmann Schiffahrt of Germany and Ocean Yield of Norway, being built at Sinopacific Offshore Engineering (SOE) in China.
MAN Diesel & Turbo reports that ethane was chosen as fuel, in preference to HFO, due to its more competitive pricing. The ME-GI engine represents the culmination of many years’ work and gives ship-owners and operators the option of utilising fuel or gas depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations, since the carbon dioxide emissions profile of ethane is considerably lower. Also, the engines will be set up such that they can easily be converted to run on methane as an alternative, as per the owner’s wish.
MAN Diesel & Turbo currently has eight ME-GIE engines on order.