Two new ships under construction for Greek ship management company Almi Tankers's are to become the first very large crude carriers (VLCCs) equipped with the with the new ultra-long-stroke G-type engine developed by by MAN Diesel & Turbo.
The 7G80ME-C9.2 engines will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea with test-bed running in January 2013. The vessels will be built at DSME in South Korea, with delivery scheduled for May and December 2013. According to MAN Diesel, it is also currently involved in several active VLCC projects, where the G80ME-C9.2 is the preferred engine choice.
Indeed, VLCCs were originally the primary target behind the introduction of the new engine. The shipping industry is currently debating whether or not VLCC lay-out speed should be reduced to 13 knots from the existing 15 to 15.5 knots, a scenario which the G-type is tailor-made to meet. It is estimated that such new designs offer potential fuel-consumption savings of between four and seven percent, and a similar reduction in greenhouse emissions. Simultaneously, the engine itself can achieve a high thermal efficiency using the latest engine process parameters and design features.
Earlier this summer Athens-based ship owner Thenamaris placed an order for four 6G80ME-C9.2 engines to power four 5,000TEU container vessels, to be built by Hyundai in South Korea.
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