Hyundai’s Ship-Building Division, HHI-SBD, has ordered 8 × MAN B&W 8G95ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) engines in connection with the building of 8 × 16,000-teu container ships for A.P. Møller – Maersk, the global integrator of container logistics.

Hyundai Engine & Machinery Division, HHI-EMD, will build the engines. The order contains an option for a further four engines with the first of the confirmed vessels due to enter service in Q1, 2024.

Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This is a massive milestone as these engines will be the largest methanol-burning engines ever constructed. They will be based on their well-proven 50-bore counterpart, which has already been in our engine portfolio for some time gathering more than 100,000 running hours on methanol alone. The 95-bore’s development is another example of our commitment towards decarbonisation and providing solutions demanded by the market.”

MAN Energy Solutions states that the new engines will be capable of burning bio-methanol as well as e-methanol

The new order closely follows that from July 2021 when MAN Energy Solutions won the order to supply the world’s first, low-speed, dual-fuel engine to run on methanol within the container segment – a MAN B&W 6G50ME-LGIM type built by HHI-EMD – to a 2,100-teu vessel also ordered at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard by A.P. Møller – Maersk.

Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “As a fuel, methanol is quickly becoming an option within the large container-vessel segment where – up until now – conventional fuel and LNG have long reigned. We expect that this significant order will spur further market interest in methanol as a fuel, also within other ship segments such as bulkers. Our other ME-LGIM references show methanol to be a clean, efficient and safe, marine fuel that offers a clear path to decarbonisation through significant greenhouse-gas reductions when produced from renewable energy sources.”

Brian Østergaard Sørensen. Vice President, Head of Research & Development, Two-Stroke at MAN Energy Solutions, said: “We have developed the G95 LGIM technology at our R&D test centre in Copenhagen based on the extensive knowledge and experience within dual-fuel technology that we have built up over the past decade. In general, as we move towards a zero-carbon future, MAN Energy Solutions’ dual-fuel engine portfolio is well positioned to handle whatever challenges the market brings.”

MAN Energy Solutions states that its low-speed, dual-fuel references now exceed  466 units, with its ME-GI type recording over 1.8 million operating hours on LNG alone, while the ME-LGI platform has accumulated more than 110,000 dual-fuel running hours.