Ultra-large Hapag-Lloyd containerships to use MAN LNG engines

The engines will be built in Korea and will offer the option of operating on LNG or conventional fuel, meeting Tier III emission standards through selective catalytic reduction (SCR). The first engine delivery is scheduled for May 2022. Korean shipyard, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, will build the vessels with delivery expected from April through December 2023.

In the company’s own press release, Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd said: “With the investment in six ultra large container vessels we will not only be able to reduce slot costs and improve our competitiveness on the Europe – Far East trade, but also take a significant step forward in modernising our fleet. Additionally, we will further reduce our environmental impact.”

The new-builds will be deployed on the Europe – Far East routes as part of THE Alliance and will significantly increase Hapag-Lloyd´s competitiveness in this trade. The engines will operate on LNG, but have sufficient tank capacity to operate alternatively on conventional fuel.

Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions, said: “These newbuildings will be fitted with mature ME-GI technology that continues to accumulate references across multiple segments. The engines’ fuel-efficiency and negligible methane-slip tie in perfectly with Hapag-Lloyd’s strategy of sustainability. As we move towards a zero-carbon future, the ME-GI showcases our dual-fuel engine portfolio that is future-proofed to handle whatever alternative fuels come to prominence in the decades ahead.”

The new business follows a series of recent ME-GI sales with five 6G70ME-GI Mk 10.5 dual-fuel engines ordered in October 2020 for five Newcastlemax bulkcarriers for EPS, the Singapore-based shipping company. The previous month, Guangzhou Shipyard International Co., Ltd. (GSI) ordered two 6G60ME-GI Mk 10.5 dual-fuel engines for two LR2 tankers for Hafnia, one of the world’s leading, oil-product tanker owners and operators.

MAN Energy Solutions states that its low-speed, dual-fuel references now exceed 360 units, with the ME-GI recording over 1.5 million operating hours on LNG alone.

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/26012021/ultra-large-hapag-lloyd-containerships-to-use-man-lng-engines/