MAN Diesel & Turbo’s dual-fuel MAN L23/30DF engine successfully passed its Type Approval Test (TAT) on November 2nd 2017 at CSSC Marine Power (CMP) in Zhenjiang in front of the industry’s main classification societies. The five-cylinder test engine in China had an output of 125 kW per cylinder at a nominal speed of 720/750 rpm, the company said in its press release.
Finn Fjeldhøj – Head of Small-Bore, Four-Stroke Engineering – MAN Diesel & Turbo, expressed the company’s high expectations for the engine and said: “The L23/30DF covers a power range of 625 – 1,200kW, which makes it particularly attractive for such ocean-going vessels as bulkers of most sizes, general cargo ships, chemical tankers, and smaller LNG-carriers, as well as ships operating in ports and near the coast. Encouragingly, shipowners around the world have already shown significant interest in the engine and we are very optimistic about its future prospects.”
The TAT included tests of the engine’s:
· SaCoSone alarm and safety system
· dual-fuel safety concept, including a test of the pilot-fuel system
· load-step performance;
· and a components inspection.
The MAN L23/30DF engine was also granted a certificate for compliance with IMO Tier III regulations in gas mode without any after-treatment equipment. In addition, the engine can provide up to 110% power output in both gas and fuel modes.
ESL Shipping, the leading carrier of dry-bulk cargoes in the Baltic region, has already ordered the first six L23/30DF GenSets for two 25,000-dwt cargo carrier newbuildings, currently under construction at CSC Jinling ship yard in China.
The MAN L23/30DF’s fuel injection is a simplified system, especially developed for high reliability and cost efficiency as the main injector valve is also used for the injection of pilot oil. Accordingly, the MAN L23/30DF requires relatively low investment costs as fewer parts need to be replaced, as evidenced by its extreme Time Between Overhaul (TBO) of 36,000 hours.
The new unit is based on the conventional fuel-oil MAN L23/30H engine that has a long history of operational stability and has significantly increased its number of sales in recent years. The first 23/30H came on the market in 1965 but the original engine bears little resemblance to the modern version where all fundamental characteristics have greatly evolved after five decades of continuous development. The engine is popular with shipowners for a number of reasons, not least for its broad market penetration and global recognition stemming from its reputation for reliability and ‘forgiving’ service demands.