Everything about the HMM Algeciras is big, including the power output of its MAN B&W 11G95ME-C engine – the mightiest ever built by Germany-based MAN Energy Solutions.
The 23,964 TEU containership is the largest ever built, recently launched for South Korean shipping company HMM at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) Okpo shipyard in Geoje, Korea. The newbuild measures 400 metres in length and 61 meters in beam, and has recently entered service between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal.
The record-setting containership is the first of a dozen 24,000 TEU class vessels ordered in August 2018 for delivery this year. DSME will ultimately construct seven of the series vessels, and fellow South Korean building giant Samsung Heavy Industries is slated to deliver the other four mega ships.
Big ships require big power
Each ultra-large containership will be equipped with MAN B&W G95ME-C10.5 low-speed main engines built on the new Mk10.5 platform.
Wayne Jones OBE, Chief Sales Officer and Member of the Executive Board, MAN Energy Solutions, said, “We closely follow market trends and this opportunity comes at a time when modern shipping is placing new demands on engine developers. Our new engine platform is designed to meet and even exceed such challenges. As we are able to support such a prestigious vessel with this groundbreaking technology and it’s the first in a series of ships, is very positive and important for us.”
HSD Engine Co. Ltd. built the new engine for HMM Algeciras in South Korea. The vessel is equipped with a hybrid version of an exhaust-gas scrubber that can run with both open and closed circuits, enabling compliance with IMO 2020 fuel regulations.
While the engine’s power delivery has been adjusted downwards to achieve an optimal fuel consumption, the ME-C Mk 10.5 type is capable of delivering 6,870 kW per cylinder, making it the most powerful engine ever developed by MAN Energy Solutions’ Two-Stroke business. Physically, it measures almost 22 meters in length, 18 meters in height and 2,230 metric tons in weight.
The MAN B&W 11G95ME-C engine has been built on a new Mk 10.5 platform, representing an update of its Mk 9.5 predecessor with improvements in performance, fuel consumption, emissions and cylinder condition. Among other features, the platform/engine comes equipped with MAN Energy Solutions’ new fuel-booster injection valve (FBIV), and top-controlled exhaust valve (TCEV). The HMM Algeciras will enjoy a reduction of 51% in CO2 emissions, compared with previous generations of container vessels, with the help of the new engine.
Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President, Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions, said, “The market has been asking for an engine with the capability to handle the propulsion of today’s gigantic containerships and we feel that this new platform delivers in every technical regard. It is truly pleasing that it has proven itself aboard such a noteworthy vessel.”
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