American shipping company, TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, has returned very positive reports on its LNG-powered containerships, ‘Isla Bella’ and ‘Perla del Caribe’ as they approach the third anniversary of commencing operations. The 3,100-teu sister ships serve the route between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico and are notable for being propelled by the first ME-GI dual-fuel engines produced by MAN Energy Solutions.
TOTE also reports that the six MAN 9L28/32DF auxiliary engines aboard the containerships have performed as well as their main counterparts.
In related news, TOTE’s Alaska division., has also contracted MAN PrimeServ – MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division – to convert its ‘North Star’ and ‘Midnight Sun’ RoRos to dual-fuel operation on LNG. The vessels are both currently powered by 4 × MAN 58/64 engines and will be retrofitted to MAN 58/64 retrofit units.
TOTE Maritime is playing a leading role in the expansion of LNG infrastructure locally with JAX LNG, its LNG supplier, currently constructing a state-of-the-art LNG facility near Jacksonville. While the Isla Bella and Perla del Caribe have safely bunkered LNG through a truck-to-ship process since launch, the new facility – upon completion – will represent the first, small-scale coastal LNG facility in North America that offers ship-to-ship and barge-to-ship bunkering.
The ME-GI engine – the new industrial standard
MAN Energy Solutions successful ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine has set a new industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard – among others – LNG carriers, container vessels, car carriers and bulk carriers. The ME-GI engine provides ship-owners and operators with a peerless solution within environmentally friendly and high-efficiency, two-stroke technology, without the greenhouse emissions such as methane slip, which is a hallmark of competing engines.
With the ME-GI engine, two-stroke development has taken a step further by combining the unique properties of multi-fuel combustion and the well-known reliability of MAN Energy Solutions ME-engine. The Diesel principle provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, including during load changes and fuel change-over, while defining properties such as a stable change-over from fuel to gas with no fuel-penalties are maintained. The ME-GI engine is the most environmentally friendly, technology available within the two-stroke engine segment.
MAN Energy Solution has also developed an ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) dual-fuel engine that expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of more sustainable fuels such as methanol, ethanol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
About TOTE Maritime
TOTE Maritime is a division of TOTE Inc., one of the United States’ leading marine-transportation companies. TOTE Inc.’s maritime subsidiaries include TOTE Shipholdings Inc., Totem Ocean Trailer Express and Sea Star Line, which provide regular marine transportation for general cargo between the continental United States and Alaska and Puerto Rico. TOTE Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saltchuk Resources, Inc., a family owned, Seattle-based holding company of freight transportation and petroleum distribution companies. TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.