World's largest dual fuel engine completed with MHI-MME's MET turbocharger
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME) is delivering MET Turbochargers for the world's largest two-stroke dual-fuel X-DF engine 12X92DF developed by Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd. (WinGD) of Switzerland and being built by CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd. (CMD) of China, the company said in a press release.
These engines are scheduled to be mounted on total nine 23,000 TEU container vessels to be built at a shipyard that is under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) group. Many MET Turbochargers have already been mounted on WinGD's X-DF engines, and this major project further confirms the compatibility between MET Turbochargers and X-DF engines. A ceremony to unveil the project's first completed unit will be held on December 2 at a CMD, where the engine was built.
The combination of the MET Turbocharger with the 12X92DF engine achieves the uniform lean combustion of gas mixed air in the engine. At the same time, the effective utilization of the exhaust gas enables both cleaner emissions and high efficiency. It makes it easy to accommodate the strict International Maritime Organization (IMO) nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emission regulations on specified ships, while also reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with the contribution changing the fuel from diesel to dual fuel.
The IMO's NOx Tier III standards, which require an 80% reduction in NOx emissions from Tier 1 standard, have been in effect since 2016 in Emission Control Areas (ECA). The waters subject to these standards are expected to expand going forward. As for SOx, in addition to the ECA where strict emissions regulations are already in effect, the requirements will be intensified in all other waters from 2020, reducing the allowable sulfur content in marine fuels from the current limit of 3.5% to 0.5% or less. The combination of MET Turbochargers with X-DF engines will realize a powerful option for meeting these stricter rules.
MHI-MME developed new models of small, lightweight and high-efficiency turbochargers in 2018, aiming to complete the first such turbocharger in 2020. The MET-MBII turbocharger series are available to install the turbocharger on WinGD diesel engines as well as former MET-MB series.
Going forward, MHI-MME will continue to keep in step with WinGD and other engine designers and boost the capability of MET Turbochargers to meet environmental regulations. MHI-MME will also continue to commit to the further technological advancement of the product and make MET Turbochargers a leading brand in the industry.