MAN Energy Solutions has announced an agreement with Alfa Laval, the Swedish industrial concern, to develop a methanol fuel-supply solution for MAN four-stroke engines and its fuel-injection technology. As a result, the first four-stroke engine types will be capable of retrofit to methanol operation from 2025, according to the company's release.
MAN Energy Solutions and Alfa Laval previously collaborated on decarbonising shipping in 2014 when the very first methanol solution for two-stroke marine engines was in development. To date, this is still the only such system in use at sea with over 150,000 hours of operation.
The industry’s leading, low-flashpoint fuel-supply system (LFSS) supplier, Alfa Laval’s role in the project will draw on its adaptable design and the experience gained from over 70 methanol projects, some of which have been in operation since 2016.
In the new venture, Alfa Laval will provide the LFSS itself, as well as the control system, fuel-valve train, and auxiliary functions like the purging system. It will initially design and build a prototype at its facility in Monza, Italy before delivering it for testing on a methanol engine at MAN Energy Solutions facilities in Augsburg, Germany in early 2024.