MAN Energy Solutions and Svitzer intend to develop a methanol-powered engine for tugs.
To this end, they have signed a letter of intent to develop a methanol-powered variant of the MAN 175D engine. A field test agreement, to be finalised under the name 175DF-M (Dual Fuel-Methanol), provides for the installation of a dual-fuel engine and the corresponding equipment on board one of Svitzer’s newly built tugs.
“Svitzer has set itself ambitious, but realistic, long-term decarbonization targets. In 2023 alone, we were able to reduce the CO2 emissions of our fleet by 24% globally, and we are determined to achieve further improvements through the use of low-carbon fuels such as methanol, innovative engine technologies and lasting behavioural changes. The Memorandum of Understanding signed with MAN gives us the opportunity to jointly gain valuable practical experience with the use of methanol-powered dual-fuel engines in our fleet,” explains Kasper Karlsen, Chief Operating Officer at Svitzer.
Svitzer is a long-standing MAN customer
The two companies can look back on a long-standing partnership, most recently focusing on the MAN 175D engine. In 2023, Svitzer chose the powerful MAN 175D engines for its new TRAnsverse tugs.
According to MAN Energy Solutions, the tug operator has been working on its own low-emission concept for some time, and this agreement is a significant step in that direction. The tugboat fleet is ideal for the practical testing of the newly developed MAN 175DF-M engine.
The next phase, which ends with the signing of the field test agreement, will focus on the details of the fuel supply system, engine room design, exhaust aftertreatment and engine performance optimisation.
