Engine

Japan: IHI Corporation reveals ‘improper alterations’ of data for over 4,000 marine engines

As of 23 April, 4,215 out of 4,881 marine engines shipped to customers had altered data based on the result of its investigation of available data since 2023.

Published

8 months ago

April 26, 2024

Admin

Japan’s marine and land engine maker IHI Corporation is caught in a scandal following its announcement that its consolidated subsidiary IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd. (IHI Power Systems) was found to have made “improper alterations” in the test operation records for marine engines and land-use engines.

On Wednesday (24 April), IHI Corporation revealed the shocking revelations that as of 23 April, 4,215 out of 4,881 marine engines it shipped to its customers had altered data based on the result of its investigation of available data since 2023.

In late February 2024, an employee of IHI Power Systems reported that the “fuel consumption rates” provided to customers when engine products are shipped (Record Values) were altered using values different from those actually measured during test operations (Actual Measurement Values).

Upon receiving the report, IHI and IHI Power Systems initiated an internal investigation in order to verify whether the Actual Measurement Values from test operations stored at IHI Power Systems matched the values actually provided to customers, as well as to conduct interviews with the relevant persons.

“As a result, it was confirmed that the values were inappropriately altered at the Niigata Engine Plant (Niigata City, Niigata) and Ohta Plant (Ota City, Gunma) of IHI Power Systems,” IHI said in the notice.

“The subject workplaces were immediately instructed to record the Actual Measurement Values, and this has now been corrected.”

At this point in time, the firm said there have been no confirmed cases that may raise questions about the safety of the engines during test operations and actual use.

) Results of the verification between the Actual Measurement Values and the recorded values

“In the interviews with the relevant persons, in addition to testimony stating that the values were altered to make the fuel consumption data look better or to adjust the variations in the data, some interviewees testified that they were carrying on the procedures of their predecessors,” it continued.

“As a result, it is believed that underlying causes of the Matter include a lack of compliance awareness and issues in the workplace culture.”

With respect to whether there have been violations of the laws, regulations, standards, etc. related to the subject engines, IHI said they were reconfirming using the Actual Measurement Values.

“Concerning marine engines, we have confirmed that there are cases that are at risk of deviating from the standards for marine products in the NOx regulations established according to the Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster and the International Maritime Organization,” the firm added.

“In addition, regarding the fuel consumption rates prescribed by the Fishing Boat Inspection Regulations, we have confirmed that there are cases that are at risk of deviating from the standards. Based on these results, we will continue to carefully proceed with the investigation.”

Photo credit: Jaison Lin on Unsplash
Published: 25 April 2024

Ammonia

China: Headway and Yuchai Marine ink deal on ammonia fuel supply system

Headway’s AFSS system will be used on Yuchai Marine’s ammonia-fuelled low-speed engine test platform and will be delivered as a turnkey solution; firm will handle the entire lifecycle of the project.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 25, 2024

Admin

China: Headway and Yuchai Marine ink deal on ammonia fuel supply system

Qingdao-based maritime technology firm Headway Technology Group (Headway) and Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd (YCMP) on Thursday (21 November) signed an agreement to collaborate on Headway’s OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System (AFSS) project in Zhuhai City, China.

The AFSS system will be used on YCMP's ammonia-fuelled low-speed engine test platform and will be delivered as a turnkey solution. YCMP develops, designs, produces, and sells low-speed high power marine diesel engines for bulk carriers, container vessels, tankers, and engineering ships.

YCMP holds production licences for WIN GD and MAN ES two-stroke engines and is based in Zhuhai, Guangdong.

Headway's Vice President Cao Xuelei and YCMP's Chief Engineer Feng Deliang signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. YCMP's General Manager Deng Hui, Headway's New Energy Project Manager Zhao Rui, and other key departmental representatives from both sides attended the ceremony.

Headway will provide a comprehensive system including ammonia storage tanks, supply modules, unloading compressors, pumps, escaped ammonia catching systems, gas detectors, and double-walled pipelines.

“Supporting both WinGD and MAN engines, this project highlights Headway’s advanced modular design and EPC capabilities. Headway will handle the entire lifecycle of the project, from engineering design, infrastructure construction, equipment manufacturing, installation and commissioning, to deliver a turnkey service,” the firm said.

The OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System is Headway's latest independently developed alternative fuel system, following LNG, LPG, and methanol supply systems. It features modular design, dual redundancy, and customised configurations based on vessel types.

The system is efficient, reliable, and safe, and supports one-touch operation and fault self-diagnosis. Its unique pressure stabilisation design ensures stability under varying engine loads. The OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System has received Approval in Principle (AIP) certifications from CCS, DNV, and RINA classification societies. Additionally, it has successfully integrated multiple key components with WinGD ammonia-fueled engines for onboard applications.

Simultaneously, Headway successfully delivered another large-capacity Methanol Fuel Supply System module for Dalian Marine Diesel after delivery the first in 2023 and the module is compatible with 65,000 kW methanol dual-fuel low-speed engines.

Photo credit: Headway Technology Group
Published: 25 November, 2024

Retrofit

Maersk completes first large container vessel conversion to dual-fuel methanol engine

Retrofit operation on “Maersk Halifax” was conducted at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China over 88 days with completion at the end of October 2024.

Published

3 weeks ago

November 19, 2024

Admin

Maersk completes first large container vessel conversion to dual-fuel methanol engine

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) on Monday (18 November) said the conversion of container ship Maersk Halifax into a methanol dual-fuel vessel has been completed.

The retrofit operation was conducted at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China over 88 days with completion at the end of October 2024.

“We are happy to announce that Maersk Halifax successfully has been retrofitted into a dual-fuel methanol vessel,” said Leonardo Sonzio, Head of Fleet Management and Technology at Maersk.

“Following the completion of the sea-trials, Maersk Halifax has returned to operation and is now servicing our customers on the Trans-Pacific trade.”

The engine conversion has been done by MAN Energy Solutions. Besides replacing machine parts and thereby making the engine able to operate on methanol, the retrofit operation at the yard has involved adding new fuel tanks, fuel preparation room and fuel supply system.

The hull has also been expanded to accommodate the fuel tanks. With this change, the length of the ship was extended by 15 metres to 368 metres, increasing the capacity from around 15,000 to 15,690 TEU.

“Since we set the ambitious climate goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines. In the coming year, we will take learnings from this first conversion of a large vessel,” said Sonzio.

“Retrofits of existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels.”

Maersk Halifax, which is one of 11 vessels in Maersk’s Hong Kong-class, departed anchorage at the yard on 4 November 2024.

Manifold Times previously reported Sinopec Zhejiang Zhoushan Petroleum successfully completed the largest single bunkering of methanol bunker fuel for ships in China.

Sinopec conducted a truck-to-ship bunkering operation, delivering 937.68 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol bunker fuel to the large container vessel Maersk Halifax at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard.

Photo credit: Maersk
Published: 19 November, 2024

Engine

Caterpillar Marine receives DNV AiP for methanol-ready dual-fuel engines

Cat 3500E methanol-ready engines will have a significant impact across all maritime segments, especially tugs and other vessels that require high-power propulsion for heavy loads, says firm.

Published

3 weeks ago

November 15, 2024

Admin

Caterpillar Marine receives DNV AiP for methanol-ready dual-fuel engines

Engine manufacturer Caterpillar Marine recently announced that it has received DNV Approval in Principle of the Cat® 3500E methanol-ready marine main and auxiliary engines.

The DNV approval and class notation validate Caterpillar Marine’s methanol-ready dual-fuel engine solution. The Cat 3500E engines are available in 12-cylinder (up to 1901 kW) and 16-cylinder (up to 2525 kW) configurations.

Caterpillar Marine will provide update kits for the 3500E in addition to offering new methanol-burning engines to satisfy the timing and requirements of any project.

Cat 3500E methanol-ready engines will have a significant impact across all maritime segments, especially tugs and other vessels that require high-power propulsion for heavy loads. This innovative solution will enable operators to use methanol as a fuel to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from well to wake.

“Caterpillar Marine is pleased that the DNV review was successful, as it marks an important product development milestone for us,” said Caterpillar Marine Vice President and General Manager Brad Johnson.

“Methanol will play an important role in the maritime industry’s energy transition efforts, and we look forward to providing vessel operators with high-quality methanol solutions.”

In parallel with the methanol engine development, Caterpillar is also exploring other alcohol-based fuels. The company has already started testing these fuels in the same engine and will provide more information as the development progresses.

Caterpillar Marine first announced its investment in methanol engine technology in March 2022 as part of its combustion technologies innovations.

In a follow-up release in September 2022, it announced methanol-readiness for the 3500E-series marine engines, which would be capable of being modified to run as dual-fuel engines in the future.

In May 2024, the company announced plans to deploy the first set of field demonstrator methanol dual-fuel 3500E marine engines with Damen Shipyards Group in 2026.

Photo credit: Caterpillar Marine
Published: 15 November, 2024