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At a customer event in South Korea on 9 November 2012, Hyundai revealed the first commercial MAN B&W ME-GI engine. The ME-GI is a gas-injection, dual-fuel, low-speed diesel engine that, when acting as main propulsion in LNG carriers or any other type of merchant marine vessel, can burn gas or fuel oil at any ratio, depending on the energy source available on board and dictated by the relative cost of combustibles and owner preference.

The ME-GI type was successfully demonstrated at the ceremony in Korea, culminating in it achieving 100% load when powered by gas with a minimal amount of pilot oil for ignition. The engine subsequently successfully passed its Type Approval Test at the end of November.

In his speech at the ceremony, Ole Grøne, Senior Vice President Low-Speed Promotion & Sales, MAN Diesel & Turbo, said: “In spite of the fact that newbuilding activity presently is relatively low, the regulatory environment of shipping is being tightened, especially with a view to emission control. Hence, development activities are high and HHI’s commitment to work with MAN Diesel & Turbo towards this demonstration of the ME-GI principle on a real commercial engine is highly appreciated by the industry. In this context it should be noted that the ME-GI technology is retrofittable for all existing ME engines."

Jeong-Hwan, Kim, Senior Executive Vice President & COO Hyundai Heavy Industries, said: “The success of the dual-fuel ME-GI engine’s prototype test will lead to a great environmental contribution by effectively complying with stricter and stricter regulations, and I am confident that demand for the new engine will continue to rise in the future.”

Lars Juliussen, Senior Manager and Head of MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Diesel Research Centre, Copenhagen, held a technical presentation where he covered the ME-GI’s progress from research test rigs and the 4T50ME-GI research engine in Copenhagen, through to its world premiere and demonstration test in May 2011 at Hyundai Engine & Machinery Division.

Background

In March 2012 where HHI-EMD – the Engine and Machinery Division of Hyundai Heavy Industries, Korea – stated its intention to build an ME-GI prototype. Meanwhile, Japan's Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. also announced its intention to do the same with a 6S70ME-C rebuilt as an ME-GI engine during the second quarter of 2013.

Hyundai’s full-scale demonstration of the ME-GI principle is based on the temporary conversion to ME-GI of an existing production engine – an MAN B&W 8S70ME-C type – placed at its disposal by Norwegian shipowning firm Frontline.

MAN Diesel & Turbo said the demonstrations stemmed from customer requests to employ the ME-GI engine in new projects and stated that production capability for the ME-GI is already available.

The ME-GI engine

The ME-GI engine represents the culmination of many years’ work that began in the 1990s with the company’s prototype MC-GI dual-fuel engine. The first two-stroke GI engine, a 12K80MC-GI-S, entered into service at a power plant in Chiba, near Tokyo, Japan in 1994.

Mitsui reported the adoption of twin ME-GI engines aboard its concept LNG carrier ‘Double Eco MAX’ in July 2011 - a move intended to realize a 30% reduction in fuel costs and CO2 emissions..

Depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations, the ME-GI engine gives shipowners and operators the option to use either HFO or gas – predominantly natural gas but also, eventually, LPG.

MAN Diesel & Turbo says it sees significant opportunities for gas-fuelled ships as fuel prices rise and modern exhaust-emission limits tighten.

MAN Diesel & Turbo also predicts a broad, potential market for its ME-GI engine, extending from LNG and LPG carriers to other oceangoing vessel segments, such as containerships as well as ships plying a fixed trade.

Technical presentation findings

The ME-GI Concept features dual-fuel operation modes with:

*no knocking
*no unintentional gas injection
*no escape of gas to crankcase or engine room
*no methane slip.

Benefits to the owner include:

* full power & performance
* full load response
* nbsp;full fuel flexibility (Tier II/Tier III)
* gas quality flexibility
* port-to-port gas-mode operation
* fully integrated control system.

Origins

MAN Diesel & Turbo’s MC/ME engine family has been in the market since 1982 and has been used in almost every type of marine application including container vessels, tankers of all sizes, bulk carriers, car carriers, ro-ro and general cargo vessels.

"As such, the MC/ME engine is a well-proven product in the industry while the GI (Gas Injection) solution was developed in parallel and finished for testing in the early 1990s.

"Technically, there is very little difference between fuel-oil and gas-burning engines, but the GI engine provides an optimal fuel flexibility," MAN Diesel & Turbo said.

Conclusions

The technical presentation’s key points are summarized by MAN Diesel & Turbo as follows:

* ME-GI concept re-confirmed
* layout of S70ME-GI verified
* safety procedures verified
* performance and efficiency increased
* low emissions maintained
* ME-GI engine manufacturing confirmed
* test facilities available
* ME-GI is ready for orders
* pertaining auxiliary equipment readily available.