Cost Saving Fuel Switching Feature to be Made Available on New Hybrid Marine Engines

The Wärtsilä 6X62DF engine was launched at an event at Doosan in Changwon, Korea.

Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd. (WinGD) has announced that a cost saving fuel switching function will be made available on its X-DF engines later this year, allowing operators "broad flexibility" to use both liquid and gaseous bunkers simultaneously.

The news came as part of WinGD's announcement that the company, along with Doosan Engine Co., Ltd (Doosan), Monday completed a demonstration of the first low-speed low-pressure Wärtsilä 6-cylinder X62DF engine in a commercial application, highlighting potential cost benefits of utilising the X-DF technology with low-pressure gas admission.

WinGD is a Chinese majority owned joint-venture with Wärtsilä.

"Reductions in capital expenditure (CAPEX) of 15 to 20 percent are possible compared to other low-speed dual-fuel engine technology, as validated on the new 180,000 cbm LNG carriers," said WinGD.

"This results from the substantially simpler and lower cost LNG fuel gas handling system needed for gas admission at pressure below 16 bar."

The demonstration and launch event is said to have taken place at Doosan's works in Changwon, Korea, and showed the W6X62DF operating in numerous load and fueling conditions, as well as the validation of its engine control features, tuning, economy, and emissions.

The W6X62DF engine, which is said to have been the first X-DF engine sold for use in the new generation of very large LNG carriers, is compliant with Tier III NOx Emissions regulations when in gas mode.

Doosan is said to be completing a testing phase before the engine is delivered, one of two intended for the first of two 180,000 cbm LNG carriers under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd (SHI) in Korea for SK Shipping Co., Ltd and Marubeni Corporation.

On Monday, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE said it estimates that design updates to tankers and bulk carriers to accommodate even larger propellers, in conjunction with even lower speed engines, should give bunker savings of some 4-7 percent along with a similar reduction in CO2 emissions.