MAN Energy Solutions and Alfa Laval Partner To Create Methanol Fuel Supply System

A collaboration has been established between MAN Energy Solutions and Alfa Laval to create a methanol fuel supply system for MAN four-stroke engine retrofits. By 2025, this partnership hopes to make four-stroke engines able to run on methanol, providing a low-carbon fuel alternative.

The two businesses collaborated in 2014 to create the first methanol solution for two-stroke marine engines. With more than 150,000 hours of operation, this system is the only one at sea.

Alfa Laval, a top provider of low-flashpoint fuel supply systems (LFSS), will use its extensive collection of knowledge from more than 70 methanol projects—some of which date back to 2016—to design the auxiliary functions, control system, and fuel valve train for this new endeavour.

The prototype will be first constructed at Alfa Laval’s Monza, Italy, facility. Early in 2024, MAN Energy Solutions’ Augsburg, Germany, facilities will host methanol engine testing.

Head of Alfa Laval’s Marine Separation & Fuel Supply Systems, Viktor Friberg, expressed gratitude for the partnership and highlighted Alfa Laval’s dedication to helping clients with the fuel transition.

Bernd Siebert, the Head of Retrofit & Upgrades at MAN Energy Solutions, highlighted the significance of easing the transition to low-carbon fuel.

MAN Energy Solutions’ Head of Project Management, Robert Brendel, expressed faith in Alfa Laval for being a reliable partner with practical knowledge of methanol applications.

This program demonstrates the industry’s commitment to environmentally friendly solutions, with Alfa Laval’s flexible design and knowledge essential in developing methanol-based marine engine technologies.

Reference: MAN