Danish company to test methanol as marine fuel

Working closely with MAN Energy Solutions and other partners, Alfa Laval will explore the possibility of running the centre’s four-stroke, 2 MW diesel engine on methanol – without modifications or another pilot fuel. The testing is the third stage in an ongoing research project funded by Danish EUDP (Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Program).
 
Initiated two years ago, the EUDP-funded methanol project partners Alfa Laval and MAN Energy Solutions with the Danish Technological Institute (DTI), Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and biofuel producer Nordic Green. Through joint research, the consortium seeks to develop a methanol fuel system that can adapt to today’s marine diesel engines. Methanol, which is abundant and clean burning, is one of the most promising fossil-free fuels available for future shipping, says Lars Skytte Jørgensen, vice president technology development, Alfa Laval marine division.
 
“At present, combusting methanol requires a pilot ignition with fuel oil,” he explains. “This necessitates two fuel lines and different types of fuel tanks on board. If methanol from renewable sources could be burned directly in standard compression engines, it would offer a shortcut to carbon-neutral shipping.”
 
“The move to clean-burning methanol will be a crucial step in decarbonising the shipping industry,” says Klaus Petersen, engine specialist, performance & optimisation at MAN Energy Solutions. “Through our collaboration with Alfa Laval and the other project partners, we hope to make that step significantly easier for vessels to take.”