World’s First LNGDual-fuel Engine Adapted for High-Speed Vessels

As of 2020, shipping companies will have to use low-sulphur fuels to comply with current international regulations set out in Annex VI of the MARPOL Agreement (regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships), which will limit the maximum sulphur content in marine fuels to 0.5%. It is against this backdrop that natural gas (LNG) is being considered as one of the primary alternative fuels to enable compliance with this international regulation. Currently, there are 103 LNG-fuelled vessels in operation around the world and 97 on order. Car and passenger vessels make up the largest segment, accounting for 40 of the 103; none of these, however, is a high-speed (HSC) ropax vessel with capacity for both passengers and trucksi n open seas. HSC vessels are deployed in niche markets requiring high-speed propulsion engines (around 1,000 rpm) that can maintain service speeds. Existing LNG dual-fuel engines cannot be used to retrofit HSC vessels as they have been developed from a range of medium-speed engines (around 500-700 rpm) and they are heavier than those high-speed engines traditionally used by the HSC industry. This paper presents the innovative technology developed for the world’s first adaptation of a high-speed engine to LNG dual-fuel use by the shipping company Fred. Olsen S.A., within the GAINN4SHIP INNOVATION project.