Swiss marine power company WinGD’s first methanol-fueled engine is set for delivery after passing factory and type approval tests.
The ten-cylinder, 92‑bore X-DF-M engine, claimed to be “the biggest” methanol-fueled engine built to date, was presented in a ceremony held at engine builder CMD in Shanghai, China.
Eight classification societies were present for the signing of the X-DF‑M type approval certification, which assures that the engine can be built to WinGD’s design by all engine builders.
As reported, the X-DF-M engine will be installed on the fourth of a series of 16,000 TEU container vessels being built for COSCO Shipping Lines at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) shipyard in China. Reportedly, the single-fuel 10X92-B engines on earlier vessels in the series will be converted to methanol once the first newbuild X-DF-M engine has been commissioned.
Dominik Schneiter, CEO of WinGD, commented: “As interest in methanol and regulatory clarity increases, we anticipate the X-DF-M platform will become a key contributor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping.”
A spokesperson for CMD stated: “It is a big responsibility to build the first engine of any type, especially one for an emerging fuel with the potential of methanol. Our debut methanol-fuelled engine performed as expected across all tests and we are looking forward to offering the X-DF‑M platform as a new option for shipbuilders.”
To note, WinGD is said to have 56 X-DF-M engines on order across bore sizes ranging from 52 to 92, in similar cylinder configurations and engine rating fields as diesel-fueled X-Engines. The addition of methanol capability to the engine line-up further extends the decarbonization options available to deep-sea ship operators.