Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has confirmed an order for 10 × 8G95ME-GI10.5 engines in connection with the building of 10 × 15,000-teu containerships for Seaspan Corporation. The vessels are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2023, and will immediately after begin 12-year charters for ZIM Lines – the international shipping group – serving the US East Coast trade, according to MAN Energy Solutions's release.
Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This is just the latest order the well-proven ME-GI concept has won in recent months. Its service experience, low methane slip, high efficiency, and fuel flexibility – whether running on fuel-oil or LNG – remain unparalleled in a market whose momentum towards a zero-carbon future is growing rapidly.”
The ME-GI engines will come with a newly introduced PVU (Pump Vaporizer Unit), which ensures an optimal integration between the engine and LNG-supply system.
MAN Energy Solutions announced in January 2021 that its low-speed, dual-fuel references in their entirety had exceeded 360 units, with the ME-GI recording over 1.5 million operating hours on LNG alone. Since then, among other references, 10 × MAN B&W 7G80ME-GI Mk9.5 dual-fuel engines were ordered in early March 2021 for a series of 10 × 300,000-dwt VLCCs, a début for the engine is this particular segment.
MAN Energy Solutions successful ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine has set a new industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard – among others – container vessels, bulk carriers, tankers, LNG carriers and car 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 that are characteristic 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 not only provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, but also ensures 100% stable and reliable operation during load changes on gas with just normal additions of pilot-oil amounts. Furthermore, the ME-GI operational principles features a seamless change-over between gas operation and diesel operation The ME-GI engine is the most environmentally-friendly technology available within the two-stroke engine segment.
MAN Energy Solutions 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 and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
About Seaspan Corporation
Seaspan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp., is a leading independent owner, operator and manager of containerships providing high-quality, modern vessels with best-in-class operations and innovative ship design. Seaspan’s current operating fleet of 127 vessels represents a total capacity of approximately 1,073,000 TEU, and since December 2020 Seaspan has announced two vessel acquisitions and 31 newbuild orders which will add a further 487,000 TEU to the fleet, including 10 15,000 TEU dual-fuel LNG.