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MAN discontinues its two-stroke ME-GA LNG dual-fuel engine

6 November 2024

MAN Energy Solutions has decided to discontinue its first Otto cycle, LNG dual-fuel engine, MAN B&W ME-GA, just three years after its launch, citing upcoming methane emission regulations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

In an October letter to licensees quoted in the media, MAN ES said the new IMO methane slip regulations, expected in 2027, would call for significant technical updates and investments. Therefore, MAN ES has decided to no longer offer the G70ME-C10.5-GA engine.

The IMO is developing guidelines to regulate the emissions of methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—from international shipping, which are expected to enter into force in 2027. Additionally, the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime policy will begin regulating methane in 2025, while the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) will require ships calling at European Union ports to pay for GHG emissions, including methane, starting in 2026.

More than 260 ME-GA engines have been ordered to date, with 46 engines already in service on LNG carriers. The loss of the engine is a severe blow for MAN ES. The exact investment figures in developing the ME-GA engine line have not been publicly disclosed.

The low-pressure, Otto-cycle, two-stroke LNG dual-fuel MA-GA engine was developed specifically for the LNG tanker market, targeting lower CAPEX for owners. It was introduced as a competitor product to WinGD’s X-DF Otto cycle, LNG dual-fuel engine.

Methane emissions from lean burn Otto cycle engines can be a challenge. In their second generation dual-fuel technology, X-DF2.0, WinGD introduced the iCER (Intelligent Control by Exhaust Recycling) technology, based on recirculating cooled low pressure EGR, which achieved lower fuel consumption and reduced methane slip by up to 50% [4828]. Methane slip levels of about 1.0-1.2 g/kWh are possible for X-DF2.0 compared to 2.0-2.5 g/kWh for the first-generation engines.

MAN ES employed a similar approach in their ME-GA engines but used high-pressure EGR instead. The methane slip reductions and fuel consumption improvements were reported to be similar to those for the WinGD technology [4976][5880].

MAN ES continues to offer the high-pressure, Diesel cycle, two-stroke LNG dual-fuel engine, ME-GI, which has been well established in the LNG carrier market and across multiple vessel segments.

Source: Riviera Maritime