A four-ship newbuild programme in Japan is set to feature WinGD methanol dual-fuel propulsion following the successful testing of the first engine for the series.
Mitsui E&S DU completed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) of the DU-WinGD 6X82DF-M-1.0 LP-SCR engine on Monday.
The unit is the first methanol dual-fuel WinGD large marine engine to be built in Japan and the first WinGD large engine produced at Mitsui E&S’ Tamano Works.
“The engine is scheduled to be installed on the first vessel in a series of four vessels being built for a domestic shipowner,” Mitsui E&S said.
The dual-fuel technology gives the vessels the option of using methanol, including green methanol, alongside conventional marine fuel.
Using green methanol would allow the ships to cut their greenhouse gas emissions compared with operating solely on conventional fuels.
The engine also marks part of Mitsui E&S’ efforts to increase domestic marine engine production as Japan seeks to strengthen its shipbuilding industry.
“To meet the expected increase in marine engine demand under the Japanese government’s Shipbuilding Industry Revitalisation Roadmap, the MITSUI E&S Group is working to enhance production efficiency for large marine engines through integrated operation at MITSUI E&S Tamano and Mitsui E&S DU Aioi,” the company said.
