MAN Power Options stories that the 1,036-TEU container ship, ‘ElbBLUE’ – the previous ‘Wes Amelie’ – has diminished its greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions by 27% by working on a mix of climate-neutral, artificial pure gasoline (SNG) and standard liquefied pure gasoline (LNG), in comparison with LNG alone. In contrast with heavy gasoline oil (HFO), GHG emission discount was whilst excessive as 34%. The information has emerged from measurements initially carried out on board the ship in September 2021 when the ElbBLUE grew to become the primary container ship worldwide to exchange a portion of its bunkered gasoline gasoline (round 50%) with SNG.
Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Power Options, mentioned: “With this undertaking, now we have confirmed the technical viability of our idea of the maritime vitality transition. In the present day, greater than ever, we’re satisfied that climate-neutral, artificial fuels level the best way to inexperienced delivery – and even additional past.”
Lauber continued: “The present, international, political scenario underscores the longer term position that artificial fuels can play in a diversified vitality provide in that they level the best way towards much less dependence on uncooked materials deposits, suppliers and worth fluctuations. On account of the navy assault on Ukraine in violation of worldwide regulation, LNG costs, for instance, have risen massively in current weeks and at the moment are at an analogous degree to SNG. If manufacturing capability will be constructed up rapidly and artificial fuels made accessible to the market, SNG might turn out to be a climate-friendly and – in the long run – economical different to fossil fuels in delivery.”
Pure SNG to chop GHG by 80%
Stefan Eefting, Senior Vice President and Head of MAN PrimeServ Augsburg, mentioned: “With this pilot undertaking, now we have confirmed that any LNG-powered ship also can function with inexperienced SNG from power-to-X. Even with a mix of simply 50% SNG, GHG and pollutant emissions are considerably diminished. When operated solely on SNG, we might count on a discount of not less than 80% in GHG emissions for contemporary ships.”
Fuel operation additionally drastically reduces different polluting emissions in comparison with HFO. Within the case of the ElbBLUE, nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) dropped by nearly 87%, whereas emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulates have been nearly fully eradicated (~99%). These values have been achieved in each the unique operation on LNG and on a mix of LNG and SNG.
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Measurements have been carried out on a voyage between Brunsbüttel, Germany and Rotterdam, the Netherlands with SNG comprising roughly 50% of the bunkered gasoline at 85% engine load. The ElbBLUE is powered by an MAN 51/60DF four-stroke engine. As a multi-fuel engine, the unit permits operation with both HFO or liquid pure gasoline (LNG) as gasoline. The ship’s test-run proved that the latter will be changed by SNG with out engine modification.
Pioneer
Owned by German delivery firm, Elbdeich, and operated by charterer, Unifeeder, the 1,036-TEU container ship, ElbBLUE, sails the North and Baltic Seas. It made headlines again in 2017 beneath its former identify, Wes Amelie, when its MAN 8L48/60B primary engine was transformed to the present MAN 8L51/60DF four-stroke unit, which permits dual-fuel operation with gasoline. This was the world’s first conversion of a container ship to multi-fuel operation with climate-friendly LNG.
In September 2021, the ship reached one other milestone on the street to climate-neutral delivery when, within the Elbe port of Brunsbüttel, it grew to become the world’s first container ship to bunker climate-neutral artificial marine gasoline – some 20 tons. The liquefied SNG was produced in a power-to-gas plant operated by kiwi AG in Werlte, Germany and generated from 100% renewable vitality.
Additional reductions in methane slip
SNG is taken into account a carbon-neutral gasoline as its combustion releases solely as a lot CO2 as captured throughout its manufacturing utilizing power-to-X expertise. Nonetheless, identical to LNG, SNG consists largely of methane (CH4) and, throughout operation, small unburned portions of the gasoline can escape – so-called methane slip. Methane is taken into account a greenhouse gasoline that, when launched unburned into the ambiance, is 28 occasions extra dangerous to the local weather than CO2. MAN already provides options for methane-slip-free operation in two-stroke engines. For four-stroke engines, the corporate is engaged on numerous options to additional cut back the escape of methane from the combustion chamber.
Eefting added: “We have now already been capable of halve methane slip in our dual-fuel, four-stroke engines lately by inside engine measures, and we see additional potential within the space of exhaust gasoline after-treatment. We’re presently growing particular oxidation catalysts with which now we have been capable of cut back methane slip by an additional 70% in laboratory checks. Subsequent yr, we are going to take a look at the catalyst on board a ship for the primary time and count on to have a market-ready expertise by 2025.”
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Maritime Power Transition
MAN Power Options has been dedicated to a Maritime Power Transition geared toward climate-neutral delivery for a few years. From the corporate’s perspective, this requires the industry-wide and big use of climate-neutral fuels as direct electrification of ocean-going delivery by way of batteries just isn’t technically possible. The event and conversion of the infrastructure and international fuel-supply chains required for this will solely be efficiently achieved in shut cooperation between the delivery {industry} and political regulation, a situation MAN Power Options vigorously advocates for.
The services and products herein described on this press launch aren’t endorsed by OOLP.
