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Royal IHC: Is there a future for internal combustion engines?

In the short term, internal combustion engines will power all larger ocean-going vessels and the dual fuel engine looks set to be the prime choice for the coming years, it said.
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Netherlands-based maritime equipment company Royal IHC published an article discussing the role of internal combustion engines in the maritime energy transition; it was written by Benny Mestemaker, Senior Research Engineer for New Fuels & Drive systems.

In previous blogs, we wrote about the innovative and complex drive systems that are required for the maritime energy transition. Fuel cells were mentioned as the prime mover for the future and yet, you may wonder if internal combustion engines still have a role in future drive systems?

For me, the answer is “yes”. At IHC, we think that internal combustion engines will continue to have a role to play in the maritime energy transition. In the short term, internal combustion engines will still power all larger ocean-going vessels. At the moment, only some vessels with very specific operational profiles and work areas may be fully powered by batteries or hydrogen-fuelled fuel cells (see figure 1).

Ocean-going vessels require more energy-dense hydrocarbon fuels and/or ammonia, and the maritime solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) required for these fuels are still in development. This is the gap in which the internal combustion engine can show its potential until SOFCs – or other more efficient prime movers – become available.

Screen Shot 2020 08 19 at 12.20.11 PM

Dual fuel (DF) engines
The recent uptake of liquefied natural gas (LNG) necessitated the application of DF engines. When these engines operate in gas mode, it results in a significant reduction of the nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions. In turn, lower emissions have a positive impact on the air quality in coastal areas and near harbours.

The DF engine concept could also be applied in the future to other renewable fuels, such as hydrogen or e-methane. This makes the DF engine a ‘fuel flexible’ power generation solution, capable of adapting to several types of new fuels. It is expected that LNG will be the most suitable fuel for the next 20 years, until one or more renewable alternatives are available to fuel the maritime sector. And so, the DF engine looks set to be the prime mover of choice for the coming years.

Gas-diesel (GD) engines
However, existing DF engines are limited to fuels with a high Octane number (the indication of a fuel’s ‘knock resistance’), such as methane and hydrogen. Combusting other fuels, such as ammonia and methanol with (near) zero emissions, requires new developments. 

The GD engine is capable of combustion methanol and other fuels in a Diesel-like process, such as on the STENA GERMANICA. However, this process is not able to achieve the low NOX emissions of the DF engine, regardless of the applied fuel. Therefore, additional measures, such as water injection or the application of exhaust gas after treatment, are required. 

New engines based on the GD concept are currently in development and may be ready for application in five years. Manufacturers are approaching the construction of engines in a more modular way, allowing for the conversion of a new diesel or DF engine into a GD engine with limited effort.

Advanced combustion engines
An engine with the potential to produce lower emissions is the reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engine. This has the ability to control the combustion process with more precision, resulting in a high efficiency, and lower NOX and soot emissions (see figure 2). 

The RCCI engine promises a low emission combustion process for low reactivity fuels such as methanol, without the need for additional measures. However, it is currently in development and a time to market is not yet known. Alongside the RCCI engine, there are other concepts in development, including two-stage turbocharging and hybrid electric turbochargers.

Screen Shot 2020 08 19 at 12.20.30 PM

Figure 2: Regions of NOX and soot formation with several compression ignition engine types, such as conventional diesel combustion, homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) and l ow temperature combustion (LTC) (Agarwal et al., 2017)

Summary
The table below contains an overview of the above-mentioned prime movers and two main fuel cell types. The DF engine in combination with LNG seems to be the preferred low (harmful) emission solution for vessels with a high power requirement and a large autonomy for the coming 10 to 20 years.

For vessels operating close to the coast or inland, and therefore requiring a short autonomy, a hydrogen fuel cell system and/or a battery electric system is the most likely candidate.

Screen Shot 2020 08 19 at 12.20.45 PM

Our role
IHC is actively participating in national and international research projects, such as JOULES, ShipDrive, GasDrive, Green Maritime Methanol, NEON and Zero JIP . We do this to gain knowledge, contribute our know-how and stimulate new developments. In combination, this helps us to provide the most optimal long-term solution for our customers. If you are interested in collaborating with us in this field, we look forward to hearing from you.


Photo credit and source: Royal IHC
Published: 19 August, 2020

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Methanol

China: Chimbusco completes bunkering op with domestically produced green methanol

Chimbusco delivered 1,000 mt of domestically produced green methanol bunker fuel to “COSCO Shipping Yangpu”, China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, from 11 to 12 July.

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July 17, 2025

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China: Chimbusco completes bunkering op with domestically produced green methanol

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) on Monday (14 July) said it successfully completed a green methanol bunkering operation for COSCO Shipping’s first methanol-dual-fuel container vessel at Shengdong Terminal in Yangshan Port. 

Chimbusco delivered 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of domestically produced green methanol fuel to COSCO Shipping Yangpu from 11 to 12 July. 

COSCO Shipping Yangpu is the first methanol-dual-fuel container vessel invested and built by COSCO Shipping Group. The company previously deemed the vessel China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship. 

 With an overall length of 366 meters and a beam of 51 metres, it has a maximum container capacity of 16,136 TEUs. 

The vessel employs an advanced dual-fuel propulsion system that enables flexible switching between methanol and traditional fuels. When using green methanol as fuel, it significantly reduces carbon emissions and pollutant discharges during operations, injecting strong impetus into the green transformation of China’s shipping industry.

“This green methanol bunkering operation, jointly completed by COSCO Shipping Lines, CHIMBUSCO, and SIPG Energy Shanghai, represents another proactive exploration by CHIMBUSCO in the field of green methanol bunkering at Shanghai Port,” Chimbusco said.

“It also marks another significant step by COSCO Shipping Group in advancing the green and low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry and integrating the entire methanol supply chain.”

“As a leading domestic marine fuel supplier, CHIMBUSCO actively responded to shipowners’ demand for green methanol bunkering and worked closely with COSCO Shipping Lines, SIPG Energy Shanghai and other entities to develop a detailed supply plan and emergency response plan in advance, in accordance with relevant bunkering standards for marine methanol fuel.”

Manifold Times previously reported Chimbusco completing a methanol bunkering operation of the same vessel in Shanghai on 11 May. 

COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU was supplied approximately 900 mt of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco at Pier 1 of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry. 

Related: Chimbusco completes bunkering op of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship
Related: COSCO Shipping names China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship

 

Photo credit: Chimbusco Dalian
Published: 17 July 2025

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Methanol

Shanghai Electric starts producing first batch green methanol bunker fuel with new plant

New batch of green methanol will soon arrive at Shanghai Port and be delivered to CMA CGM to enter the international market as a marine fuel.
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July 17, 2025

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Shanghai Electric starts producing first batch green methanol bunker fuel with new plant

Shanghai Electric on Thursday (17 July) announced its Jilin Taonan Green Methanol Project, China’s first facility to fully integrate wind-to-hydrogen with biomass gasification, is now producing its first batch of ISCC-EU certified green methanol.

This batch of green methanol will soon arrive at Shanghai Port and be delivered to CMA CGM to enter the international market as a marine fuel.

The company said the milestone event marked a major national breakthrough in the field of green hydrogen-based fuels. 

Shanghai Electric will use this project as a catalyst to build a world-leading, full-industry-chain platform for green fuels, to accelerate the development of an integrated industrial ecosystem encompassing green energy, green hydrogen, green methanol and green applications.

The company will continuously improve new energy power generation, water electrolysis for hydrogen production, biomass gasification, carbon capture, green ammonia, and to promote the large-scale application of green fuels in shipping, aviation, chemical industry and other fields.

At a ceremony, Cai Dong, member of the Standing Committee of the Jilin Provincial Party Committee and Executive Vice Governor, launched the start of production of the fuel. 

As the first large-scale commercial green methanol project in China, the Taonan project has an annual production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes in the first phase.

“It is the first green methanol project in China to pass the EU ISCC full-process certification and to market to the international market,” the company said. 

 

Photo credit: Shanghai Electric
Published: 17 July 2025

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Business

Singapore-based Seatrium secures USD 400 mil sustainability-linked revolving credit facility

Credit facility will significantly contribute to Seatrium’s long-term goals of achieving its ESG targets, further bolstering its commitment to sustainable development in the offshore, marine and energy sector.
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July 17, 2025

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Singapore-headquartered marine engineering firm Seatrium on Tuesday (15 July) said its wholly-owned subsidiary Seatrium Financial Services Pte. Ltd. (SFS) has successfully secured a USD 400 million sustainability-linked revolving credit facility with United Overseas Bank (UOB).

This credit facility, anchored in sustainability-linked principles, aligns with Seatrium’s Sustainable Finance Framework and includes revolving credit features which will strongly enhance the Group’s liquidity and financial flexibility. It will significantly contribute to Seatrium’s long-term goals of achieving its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets, further bolstering its commitment to sustainable development in the offshore, marine and energy sector.

Dr Stephen Lu, Seatrium’s Chief Financial Officer, said, “Our continued partnership with UOB marks an important milestone in advancing our financial agility and deepening our commitment to environmental stewardship. By linking our financing framework to clearly defined sustainability targets, we are not only reinforcing accountability but also embedding climate-conscious principles into our capital strategy. This alignment will actively support our decarbonisation goals and longterm value creation.”

Ms Cindy Kong, Managing Director of Group Corporate Banking at UOB, said: “As the global energy transformation accelerates, sustainability-linked financing is playing a crucial role in driving the shift toward decarbonisation. We are proud to partner Seatrium in championing forward-looking initiatives within the global renewable energy segment. Together, we aim to foster innovation while paving the way for responsible and sustainable business growth globally.”

Since 2023, Seatrium has successfully secured over SGD 3 billion in sustainability-linked loans and green financing, further establishing itself as a global provider of sustainable engineering solutions for the offshore, marine, and energy sectors. 

“The Group is steadfast in its commitment to fulfilling its Sustainability Vision 2030, which is centred on empowering clients to minimise their carbon footprints through energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable vessels and offshore platforms.”

 

Photo credit: Scott Graham
Published: 17 July 2025

 

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