The dual-fuel, gas-injection MAN B&W 5G70ME-GI engine (illustration: MAN Diesel & Turbo)

MAN PrimeServ, the after-sales division of MAN Diesel & Turbo, has signed a maintenance contract with Teekay Shipping, one of the world’s largest marine energy transportation, storage and production companies.

The new EMC (Engine Management Concept) contract is for the maintenance of the Oak Spirit, Creole Spirit and Torben Spirit, sisters from Teekay’s 173,400-m3 LNG carrier series. The agreement covers the provision of spare-parts, maintenance management and the servicing of each vessel’s 2 × 5G70ME-GI (-Gas Injection) dual-fuel main engines.

Jeffrey Ang, Head of CoC – Engines & Marine Systems, Asia Pacific – MAN Diesel & Turbo, says, “This agreement is significant in that it is the first market agreement that PrimeServ has clinched involving our dual-fuel, two-stroke ME-GI engines. Furthermore, with Teekay nominating us as their preferred service provider, this contract will undoubtedly add momentum to our efforts to expand the EMC’s reach within the gas-engine segment.”

According to the terms of the contract, MAN Diesel & Turbo, Copenhagen will deliver maintenance management and spare parts, while MAN Diesel & Turbo, Shanghai will take care of the service provision for the engines.

Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofit & Upgrade, and Engine Management, further praised the cooperation between the two geographically diverse PrimeServ entities that facilitated the drawing up of the final agreement and called the close relationship between the locations in PrimeServ’s global organisation and its headquarters “an essential prerequisite for the EMC concept’s success.”

The EMC is a tailor-made service model that is customised to suit each individual customer’s special requirements. Operating on a fixed budget, MAN PrimeServ takes care of equipment, planned and unplanned maintenance, the dispatching of personnel, and the provision of spare parts – a natural task for the engine designer.

MAN Diesel & Turbo reports the adoption of the EMC by the shipping industry as a paradigm change within maintenance as, traditionally, shipowners have taken care of maintenance themselves in what is generally a conservative industry.

The close cooperation between MAN PrimeServ’s global network means that it can pool common resources and exchange knowledge, and is able to offer customers a considerably higher level of service than individual PrimeServ hubs would otherwise be able to.

The ME-GI engine represents the culmination of many years’ work and gives shipowners and operators the option of utilising fuel or gas depending on relative price and availability, as well as environmental considerations. The ME-GI uses high-pressure gas injection that allows it to maintain the numerous positive attributes of MAN B&W low-speed engines, which have become the default choice of the maritime community.

MAN Diesel & Turbo sees significant opportunities arising for gas-fuelled tonnage as fuel prices rise and modern exhaust-emission limits tighten. Indeed, research indicates that the ME-GI engine delivers significant reductions in CO₂, NO_x and SO_x emissions. Furthermore, the ME-GI engine’s negligible fuel slip makes it the most environmentally friendly technology available. As such, the ME-GI engine represents a highly efficient, flexible, propulsion-plant solution. An ME-LGI counterpart that uses LPG, methanol and other liquid gasses is also available, and has already entered service operating on methanol.

Tags: MAN PrimeServ, Teekay Shipping