Page 36: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2024)

MEET THE CTO methanol has been very attractive in the last two years. We we have entered into cooperation agreements with customers, have gained a lot of orders, especially for container vessels, with ship operators, to set up training facilities and programs but also [there has been much] interest from ferries and cruise for crews.

vessels. We expect that to continue to ramp up quickly, with maybe some 30% of all dual-fuel engines being on methanol. Decarbonization is a massive challenge in and

We expect ammonia to ramp up towards the end of this de- of itself, but aside from that, what other tech- cade. Technology will become available soon [but the transi- nological evolutions are you seeing today that tion, with ships lasting 25-30 years] will take a very long time. will or could signi? cantly impact cumulatively

There is a need to address the existing ? eet with retro? ts. We the life and ef? ciency of the engines that MAN are doing this and there is signi? cant interest from customer, too. ES designs, builds, and delivers?

[In analyzing the market for potential retro? t candidates] The other big topic next to decarbonization is digitization, there is a signi? cant number, maybe around 2,000 vessels and large marine engines are equipped with smart electronic with two-stroke engines, and another 1,000 four-stroke en- controls. They have hundreds of sensors around the engine, gines that are potential candidates for retro? t. and with today's technologies, we can make the data available on a vessel and transmit it via satellite to shore to a remote

When you change fuels there will be impacts on operation center, for example. With that we can give new and the engine as a whole as well as the ancillary much more detailed insight into the operation of the engine, systems. I know that the potential future fuel into the health status of the engine, and make sure these equip- spectrum is broad, but can you discuss some ment runs more safely, more ef? ciently, more cost-effective tangible impacts you've seen to date? than it has ever done before.

A good example may be the two-stroke ammonia engine we At MAN, we offer to our customers a service called PrimeServ are developing. The combustion characteristics of ammonia Assist, where we utilize this data and propose and suggest are very different from any other hydrocarbon fuel: it burns mechanisms and steps to always keep an engine in the most ef- slower, it has different emission types, and also there are differ- ? cient state and most fuel-ef? cient, but also if there is a need ent safety aspects to be considered. We need to make sure that for troubleshooting. We have approximately 1,600 vessels con- we get complete combustion, and we also need to make sure nected, and we are gaining more and more experience every day.

that, for example, laughing gas [N20] emissions are controlled.

Also the exhaust after-treatment will have to be looked at, as When you look back in your career, can you with the ammonia engine for example, balancing a potential am- point to an accomplishment by you or your monia slip with nitrogen oxides emissions and making sure it can team of which you are most proud?

be fully converted and neutralized in an SCR catalyst. It looks Engine development projects are complex, with dozens of like that is possible, but again, more detailed work is needed. people involved, so it's always a team effort. Nevertheless, I

Looking at the safety system, ammonia is highly toxic, so admit that I'm also personally proud on some of the achieve- a safety philosophy needs to be adapted and crews need to be ments and successful executed projects. The ? rst one is the trained to do basic maintenance work at sea. For that reason, two-stroke methanol engines which we have developed in

C C C C CH H H H H H H H E RE E ES SE EA A A A AR R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R RC E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EN N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N NG G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G GI I I I I I I I I I I I I I IN N N N N N N N N NE E E E E E E E E E E E E E A A A A A A A A A A A A A A AT R R R R R RES SEA A AR R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R RCH E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EN N N N N N N N N N N N N N NG G G G G G G G G G G G GI I I I I I I I IN N N N N N N N N N NE E E E E E E E A A A A A A A A A AT T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T

R R R RC C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C CH R R R RE E E ES SE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EA A A A AR H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C CE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EN N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N NT T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T T TE E E E E E E E E E E E E ER R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

E E E EN N N N N N N N N NH C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C CO O O O OP P P P PE H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H HA A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A AG G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G G GE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EN N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N 36 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • August 2024

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