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Alternative Fuels

MAN Energy Solutions upgrades four-stroke engines for green future fuels

Customers will in due course be able to use other, so-called future fuels such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen also produced in a climate-neutral manner.
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MAN Energy Solutions on Monday (29 November) said it is continuously developing the range of services for its portfolio of four-stroke engines.

The development will enable its customers to exploit a multitude of synthetically manufactured, climate-neutral fuels in the operation of ships or power plants. Already today, MAN engines using power-to-X fuels such as synthetic natural gas (SNG) can be operated totally climate-neutral.

MAN customers will in due course be able to use other, so-called future fuels –such as ammonia, methanol and hydrogen – also produced in a climate-neutral manner. 

While the fuels are not currently available on the market, its use in MAN units will, however, be possible through the incipient start-up of green-fuel production facilities. These, in turn, will further reduce harmful emissions and reliably meet future, stricter environmental requirements and regulations, it said.

“Green future-fuels are key to the decarbonisation of shipping,” said Marita Krems, Head of the Four-Stroke Marine Engines Division at MAN Energy Solutions, outlining the importance of the issue. 

“By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions in ship transport must decrease by at least 50%. We will therefore make future-proof solutions available to our customers, which will make the diversified use of green fuels possible – both for new engines and engines in the existing fleet.”

Even today, MAN customers can fall back on the use of biofuels as ship fuel in order to reduce emissions, it said.

“Sustainably produced biofuels, for example those derived from waste woods, can reduce carbon dioxide (CO2 ) output by up to 85%,” said Krems.

“In 2022, we will offer engines that are designed for later conversion – if required – to methanol operation. From 2024, we will make solutions for the use of methanol in four-stroke engines available.”

The company also has its sights firmly set on the use of ammonia. 

“In container ships with a two-stroke engine, ammonia will certainly play a decisive role and such an engine will be available from 2024. When it comes to the four-stroke segment, we have already discussed the relevance of this fuel in great detail with our customers,” adds Krems.

“Cruise ships or ferries, for example, are basically floating cities and have especially high safety standards. Here, we only see options for ammonia’s use if initial, positive operating experiences have been gathered in other segments.”

“As soon as there is a demand for an ammonia solution, we will be ready,” emphasised Krems. 

“With our two-stroke engines, we are the pioneers when it comes to ammonia and we have the necessary, developmental competence.

“Together with partners – as part of the ‘AmmoniaMot’ research project – we have already defined the steps necessary for the development of a four-stroke, multi-fuel engine that can also operate on ammonia. As soon as relevant fields of application emerge, we will be able to handle them.”

In all this, MAN Energy Solutions continues to follow the concept it has built up over several generations.

“In addition to new engines, we are also always thinking in terms of retrofitting the existing fleet,” adds Bernd Siebert, Head of Four-Stroke Retrofitting at MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions after-sales brand.

“Ships have a lifetime of several decades. After retrofitting, engines already in the field have the same capabilities as our new engines. This is how we safeguard, not only the climate, but also our customers’ investment.”

 

Photo credit: MAN Energy Solutions
Published: 30 November, 2021

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure.
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July 21, 2026

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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CIMC SOE) recently signed a contract with Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 12,000-cubic metre (m3) LNG bunkering vessel, according to Chinese maritime media.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will support Sinopec’s efforts to expand its presence in the marine clean energy sector.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s LNG bunkering infrastructure.

With this signing , CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering’s LNG bunkering vessel orderbook is further strengthened, maintaining its leading position in the global market for small and medium-sized LNG bunkering vessels.

The contract also marked another milestone for CIMC SOE, which has seen a sharp increase in orders and business performance this year amid a surge in domestic LNG vessel demand.

 

Photo credit: Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Nuclear

ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

KRISO says AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.
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ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) on Thursday (16 July) received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its concept design of a 15,000 TEU Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-powered container ship utilising Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology.

KRISO said the AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.

“This achievement demonstrates international recognition of KRISO’s technological capabilities in the rapidly evolving field of nuclear-powered shipping, supporting the transition toward low-carbon maritime transport,” it said. 

Building on this milestone, KRISO will continue advancing basic and detailed ship design, paving the way for future demonstration and commercialisation of SMR-powered vessels. 

Through continued R&D and international collaboration, KRISO remains committed to strengthening next-generation maritime technologies and contributing to the safe deployment of nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry.

 

Photo credit: Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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