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PROPULSION
Coming up with propulsion systems that meet the new requirements for low emissions and high performance is a challenge. However, there are a number of new products on the market that not only meet commercial shipping industry needs, but also require low maintenance, at a time when yard time is at a premium © Thordon Bearings
MEETING THE CHALLENGE MAN Energy Solutions has been pushing dual fuel retrofits of low-speed engines as a move towards decarbonisation. The company says that dual-fuel retrofits have already been effective on MAN & B&W low-speed engines and offer substantial energy savings when fuelled by carbon neutral products. The company is offering a number of options for the retrofit conversion of conventionally- fuelled engines including the use of ethane, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and methanol variants and is working towards being able to offer a retrofit option using ammonia as fuel in order to meet vessels’ five year dry-docking options after the first quarter of 2025. According to Klaus Rasmussen, head of projects at MAN PrimeServe: “A massive number of vessels in the current, ocean-going fleet have the potential for conversion, and our broad and continuously expanding portfolio of dual fuel engines offers extensive options when it comes
to retrofitting”. Conversion to methanol is particularly attractive. PrimeServ recently retrofitted what the company says was the greenest ever selective catalytic reduction system for a German cruise ship, which the company says adapts to limited space and meets Norwegian emissions standards.
SAFE RETURN TO PORT
Thordon Bearings has unveiled the BlueWater Seal, a new propeller shaft seal with a unique safe-return-to-port (SRTP) design that specifically meets commercial shipping industry needs for low maintenance and robust shaft seal. The Thordon BlueWater Seal completes the Compac open seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing system. Taking the company’s TG100 and SeaThigor seal products as the technical benchmark, the Thordon BlueWater Seal is a cost effective, commercial grade axial lip seal specifically designed for merchant shipping fleets, the company says.
C L E A N S H I P P I N G INTERNATIONAL – Spring 2022
