MHI-MME Completes Retrofits for Low Sulfur Fuel on 80 LNG Carriers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 20, 2017

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Engine Co., Ltd. (MHI-MME) today announced that it has completed the retrofit of new technologies for the use of low sulfur fuel on 80 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.

MHI-MME says the retrofits have been completed in particular to use Ultra Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (ULSFO) bunkers in light of the upcoming global 0.50 percent sulfur cap for marine fuel that comes into force in 2020.

"In order to comply with the new regulation, oil companies develop their own brand fuels as Ultra Low Sulfur Heavy Fuel Oil (ULSHFO) which contain 0.5 percent of sulfur or below. However, the oil property of ULSHFO is very variable depending on its brand or supplier with no international standard, and that will cause unstable combustion of the burner," said MHI-MME.

The company explains that its burner technology and control system was developed for use with low sulfur marine gas oil (LSMGO) for main boilers, enabling vessels to burn fuels within a wide range of viscosity.

MHI-MME says that it has already applied such technologies to auxiliary boilers on new building vessels.