cycle, which results in a very stable
combustion process and allows for any
LNG compositions to be burned as fuel
without the need to de-rate the engine
or hinder engine acceleration. The
main engine and gas supply system can
accept any lique�� ed methane gas, which
includes biogas or synthetic-LNG (or
eLNG) from power-to-X plants. We are
currently assessing the usage of these
fuels.”
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
The LNG engines reduce carbon dioxide
emissions by up to 25%, nitrogen oxide
emissions by up to 30%, particulate
matter by up to 60% and sulphur oxide
emissions by up to 100% per ship. Those
�� gures refer to general data for LNG as
fuel, according to VW Group Logistics.
The spokesperson says: “What is
worth noting is that the ME-GI engines
deployed in these ships have the lowest
possible methane slip available in the
market. It is 10-15 times lower than any
alternative in the market.”
According to VW Group logistics, the
engines comply with the IMO regulations
and regulations in SECA (sulphur
emission control areas; more information
on IMO marine engine regulations can be
found at www.is.gd/abonil).
Uwe Lauber, chief executive o�� cer at
POWER GENERATION – LNG AT SEA
MAN Energy Solutions,
comments: “We believe
that the switch to LNG
as marine fuel is the most
important basis for a maritime energy
revolution. In a second step, gas-capable
ships can be operated with synthetically
produced, climate-neutral fuels and
are therefore future-proof. With this
project, Volkswagen is pioneering the
decarbonisation of global trade �� ows.”
Volkswagen Group Logistics
organises, coordinates and is responsible
for around 7,700 ship departures
worldwide every year. Several hundred
liners and 11 car freighter charter ships,
two of which are now being replaced by
the LNG units, sail the world’s oceans for
the group every day. The LNG vessels will
be in service for Volkswagen Logistics
until at least 2027, and during that time
will carry out up to eight round trips per
ship, per year.
Gas – in brief
Gas network operator SGN is planning
to supply energy to homes in Fife,
Scotland, using hydrogen rather than
natural gas, as part of the Hydrogen
100 (H100) demonstration project. On
completion, this project will be the �� rst
of its kind to employ a direct supply
of o�� shore wind renewable power to
produce green hydrogen energy (via an
on-shore electrolyser), heating up to 300
homes in the �� rst instance. Engineering
consultancy Wood delivered preliminary
engineering design services. Operation
is due to begin in a few years.
Lloyds Transport and Warehousing,
a Tamworth-based logistics company,
has added four eco-friendly vehicles
to its �� eet as it continues to ‘invest in
the future’. The �� rm worked with
truck dealer Guest Truck and Van
to assess its eco-requirements
before selecting IVECO LNGpowered
tractor units to add to
its �� eet, choosing four Stralis 6x2
NP LNG trucks.
Volvo Trucks has launched four new
truck models that deliver safety and
productivity improvements. The four
heavy-duty trucks are new generations
of the FH, FH16, FM and FMX models,
which together represent around twothirds
of Volvo Trucks sales. Volvo says
the trucks will be o�� ered with a range of
drivelines, including the LNG-powered
engine for the FH and FM. The new FH
is also available with a new Euro VI turbo
compound diesel engine, the D13TC,
which, as part of Volvo’s I-Save package,
can deliver 7% fuel savings, it says.
Weir Minerals, a heavy engineering
business, made the decision to commit
to a brand new �� eet of 55 vehicles
when its forklift �� eet contract came
up for review in autumn 2019. Rushlift,
a UK subsidiary of Doosan Industrial
Vehicles, was selected as the preferred
supplier. Of the 55 new vehicles supplied
by Rushlift to Weir Minerals, the vast
majority were Doosan products – LPG
gas, diesel and electric counterbalance
models, across a vast range of capacities
from the latest electric B15R-7 threewheeler,
right up to Doosan’s heavy
lifting DV250S-7, with a capability to lift
loads of up to 25 tonnes.
Doosan gas forklifts for Weir
Autumn 2020 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 71
/abonil)
/www.operationsengineer.org.uk
