Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group has ordered 10 × MAN B&W 7G80ME-C10.5-GI engines in connection with the construction of 10 × 7,000-teu container ships for Seaspan Corporation, the world's largest, independent container vessel-owner.

The contract includes an option for five further vessels. Engine delivery is scheduled from October 2023 to 2024; Seaspan has  already chartered the ships on long-term contracts.

Upon completion, the newbuildings will become the largest ME-GI-powered container vessels built by a Chinese shipyard.

Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Promotion and Customer Support, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “Our ME-GI engine continues to enjoy success within new vessel segments – including non-LNG-bearing carrier applications – primarily due to the ever-increasing focus on methane-slip reduction and fuel efficiency. This latest mark of the engine comes with a gas-optimised tuning that significantly improves fuel efficiency when operating on gas, while simultaneously maintaining an industry-leading, low methane-slip of just 0.20-0.28 g/kWh over its entire load range.”

Over the course of the past year, MAN Energy Solutions reports that it has received multiple orders from Chinese shipyards for ME-GI engines for a broad variety of projects including pure car-truck carriers (PCTCs), bulk carriers, and oil tankers. Hansen added: “The Chinese market has great potential for us and we plan to increase the more than 1.8 million running-hours that the ME-GI has accrued to date running on LNG alone.”

The ME-GI engine – the new industrial standard

MAN Energy Solutions successful ME-GI (-Gas Injection) engine has set a new industrial standard for two-stroke propulsion engines aboard – among others –  container vessels, bulk carriers, tankers, LNG carriers and car carriers. The ME-GI engine provides ship-owners and operators with a peerless solution within environmentally friendly and high-efficiency, two-stroke technology, without the greenhouse emissions such as methane slip that are characteristic of competing engines.

With the ME-GI engine, two-stroke development has taken a step further by combining the unique properties of multi-fuel combustion and the well-known reliability of MAN Energy Solutions ME-engine. The Diesel principle not only provides the ME-GI engine with high operational stability and efficiency, but also ensures 100% reliable operation during load changes on gas with just normal additions of pilot-oil amounts. Furthermore, the ME-GI operational principles features a seamless change-over between gas operation and diesel operation. The ME-GI engine is the most environmentally friendly, technology available within the two-stroke engine segment.

MAN Energy Solutions has also developed an ME-LGI (-Liquid Gas Injection) dual-fuel engine that expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of more sustainable fuels such as methanol.