Pioneers of maritime decarbonisation

MAN Energy Solutions is one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of marine propulsion systems – with half of the world’s trade moved by their engines.  The company is already at the forefront of climate-neutral shipping and is developing engines to run on alternative fuels that will play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of the marine industry. A pioneer of the Maritime Energy Transition for many years, as Kristian Mogensen, from MAN Energy Solutions explains, they are now actively ramping up the use of alternative fuels in shipping – with vessels already in operation running on a number of different fuels including methanol, LPG, methane, ethane as well as conventional fuels. 

With the use of new fuels comes the potential for new lubrication challenges.  But, as Kristian confirms, their Category II BN 40 cylinder oils are providing sufficient protection to these new dual-fuel engines.  “The low sulphur operating regimen meant our first methane burning engines were operated with a BN 25 oil. But, in our 2015/16 models, we increased the pressures and the fuel efficiency which pushed us over a threshold where these BN 25 oils were unable to deliver the performance we needed. So, we engaged with oil and additive majors to develop a new lubricating oil that would meet our needs going forward.  Around 2020, we started to see the first introduction of these new Category II BN 40 cylinder oils, which have now proven to be best suited to meet the needs of our alternative fuel engines.”

Methanol already in use

Methanol is one carbon-neutral marine fuel option supported by MAN Energy Solutions, which has several advantages - it can be produced from renewable resources, meet NOx and greenhouse gas regulations and, with minor changes, can be used with existing bunkering infrastructure. Kristian says these advantages, combined with its potential to reduce carbon emissions anywhere from 65 - 95%, depending on how its produced, mean methanol is already being used as a marine fuel and he regards it as a fully mature technology.  “We at MAN Energy Solutions have had it in service since 2016, and in 2023-4 methanol was the preferred fuel for ultra large container vessels.”

Future fuels

Looking ahead, the need to run engines on zero carbon fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia is growing as the industry works to meet the International Maritime Organization (IMO) net zero by 2050 ambition.  Kristian sees hydrogen as a very interesting future fuel – and testing has already begun. “Last year we started some engine tests in an R&D setup at Mitsui E&S, where we have been operating our ME-GI engine with one of our four test units operating on hydrogen. So we have now demonstrated that we can actually operate it in a reliable and safe manner, and we are also getting some good indication on the fuel economy. But, we believe that the supply side - in terms of storage capacity and fuel handling - needs to mature slightly before we will start to see it in shipping.”

An ammonia two-stroke engine under development at the MAN Energy Systems Research Centre in Copenhagen

Ammonia, which can achieve carbon-neutral combustion when bio-fuel oil is used as pilot oil, is a fuel MAN Energy Solutions really believes in, and Kristian says he is excited by the progress that is being made at their Research Centre in Copenhagen and with their partners Mitsui E&S in Japan.

This testing success is edging these new ammonia engines closer to market entry. “We expect a market introduction of our ME-LGIA (Liquid Gas Injection Ammonia) engines by the end of 2026, and our excellent test results have already resulted in the first pilot project for an ammonia ship from HHI and EP shipping.  We have also secured several ammonia engine pilot projects throughout Asia, and we are confident that ammonia will comprise one of the three major alternative fuels on the market – alongside methanol and methane.”

Again in terms of lubrication, Kristian believes that their Category II BN 40 cylinder oils will provide sufficient protection to these new ammonia engines.

The maritime industry is in a period of rapid change, with future trends hard to call.  And, as Kristian explains, trying to predict if one fuel will dominate the marine industry in the next decade is a very hard thing to do.

With the future so hard to predict and with a lack of clarity about which fuel may dominate in the future we wanted to understand what other complex technologies MAN Energy Solutions is lining up and what are the biggest challenges in developing engines for future fuels.  “We are looking at how the market is developing,” Kristian confirms. “If there is a need for a certain exotic fuel, then of course we will look into it, how it will impact our engine technology, what we need to develop in order to be able to burn this kind of fuel.  But, we also have to evaluate the cost and what resources are needed versus what the market potential for this exotic fuel might be.”

Important role for lubricants

As Kristian adds, the lubricating oil is an important part of any new engine design.

It is clear from speaking to Kristian that MAN Energy Solutions is committed to enabling its customers to achieve sustainable value creation in the transition towards a carbon-neutral future.  With a strategy of ‘Moving big things to zero’, they are catering to sectors that are essential to the world economy, offering systems to bring down emissions that are considered hard to abate. “We are radically rethinking the status quo and our own product portfolio, dedicating ourselves to being pioneers of decarbonisation in shipping, energy and industrial production. From future-facing key technologies to industry-leading digital solutions and a continuously developing core portfolio – we have the experience, the technology and the passion to get this job done.” 

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