Full fuel flexibility by 2030

Peter Quaade, Head of ME and Dual Fuel for 
Two-Stroke Operations, declares the Mk30 ­engine to be a key pillar of two-stroke strategy.

The Mk30 engine, which MAN Energy Solutions wants to develop by 2030, has been conceived in such a way that it can burn all current fuels using a single fuel system. It will only be set up for the customer’s preferred fuel at the individual configuration stage. “We want to simplify matters. The inside of the engine will change with the configuration, depending on which fuel the customer prefers. From the outside, however, the engine will remain the same, with the same design, fuel system, pipes, valves, etc.,” says Peter Quaade. Injection systems for each fuel type will gradually be integrated in one system, doing away with the need for different hardware platforms.

Developments towards the Mk30

There are a great many variables to be taken into account en route to full fuel flexibility. “We’re creating solutions for fuels demanded by the market. We’ll develop and optimize these systems in turn so that we can integrate them with each other over time, like a zipper. But first these systems have to be as well documented as our ME-GI system is now,” Quaade explains. MAN Energy Solutions is not the only supplier focusing on full fuel flexibility. How far have we got compared with our competitors? “The market seems very close to outsiders, but I would say we’re at least a step or two ahead of our nearest competitors,” says Quaade. “If we compare the dual-­fuel technologies that are available, our system is much more flexible than the rest.” MAN Energy Solutions quite recently demonstrated that methane and ethane, two very different gases, can be burned on the same system without hardware modifications. “We’re also leading the way with the LGIP, which uses the same technology as the LGIM. These technologies are similar, so sooner or later we’ll be able to integrate them in a single system,” Quaade predicts.

We have to constantly search the horizon for new fuels. No one knows what the future will bring, so flexibility is essential.

New fuels on the horizon

The market is currently demanding solutions for methane gas, ethane gas and methanol. But it would be a mistake to focus exclusively on today’s competitive fuels. “We’ve carried out case studies for a potential fuel – ammonia. We’re also investigating water in methanol and pilot oil as a way of reducing emissions. We have to constantly search the horizon for new fuels. No one knows what the future will bring, so flexibility is essential,” says Peter Quaade in conclusion.