MAN ES wins contract to supply methanol-ready engines for Royal Boskalis dredger

MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) on Wednesday (10 January) said it won a contract from Royal Boskalis B.V., the Dutch dredging and marine services company, to supply three MAN 49/60 engines for a 31,000 m³ Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD).

The BV-classed main diesel engines will be capable of running on either conventional fuels – like HFO and/or MDO/MGO – or on sustainable fuels, such as biodiesel (HVO and/or FAME). Furthermore, the ‘dual-fuel’ engines will also be delivered as (green) ‘methanol-ready’. As such, the MAN 49/60 will always be capable of meeting NOx Tier III emission limits.

Each engine will come accompanied by an exhaust-gas after-treatment system, namely an MAN Low-Pressure Selective Catalytic Reduction (LP-SCR) system, that ensures IMO Tier III compliance. The newbuilding will be built at Dutch shipbuilding company, Royal IHC, at its Krimpen aan den IJssel yard and is expected to enter service in mid-2026.

Lex Nijsen – Vice President Marine, MAN ES, said: “This entire project has special requirements in all aspects – it is absolutely a customised solution and a notable feather in our cap to have been selected as propulsion-system supplier for this unique dredger.”

Marita Krems – Senior Vice President, MAN ES, said: “This first order by a well-established customer in a demanding application is a significant next step towards becoming a widely applied marine engine. The 49/60 will help pave the decarbonisation path towards meeting future legislation by its ability to switch to renewable fuels such as e-methanol and biofuels.

Christian Kamm – Sales Manager Marine Europe, MAN ES, added: “The solution we are delivering is reliable, efficient, flexible and meets the highest emission standards. It combines green shipping of the future with innovative technologies to make shipping more environmentally friendly. This vessel marks a significant step in making Boskalis’ dredging fleet more sustainable.”

The TSHD will be diesel-electric powered with two Azipods to allow vessel operation even at shallow draught. All major drives (thrusters, dredge pump, etc.) will be electrically driven and controlled by frequency converters, enabling each system to operate at optimal speed and power. The asymmetric load-sharing results in optimal load distribution over the diesel generating sets with low fuel-consumption and high maneuverability.

MAN ES stated that the engines maintain their high efficiency at all times and that there is no fuel penalty when operating the SCR system – especially with HFO – in great part due to the lower temperatures that MAN SCR solutions operate at.

In close cooperation with Royal IHC and Boskalis , the engines have been fitted into an engine-room design similar to those used in previous Royal IHC dredger projects.

Photo credit: MAN Energy Solutions
Published: 12 January, 2024