Swiss marine power company WinGD has successfully completed shop tests of its innovative variable compression ratio (VCR) technology. The findings indicate that new X-DF engines equipped with VCR technology can achieve methane reductions comparable to high-pressure dual-fuel technologies, while also offering cost benefits in terms of overall system and fuel expenses for various vessel applications. The VCR tests took place at Mitsui E&S DU (MESDU) facilities in Japan, where the first X-DF2.0 engines with VCR are being manufactured for bulk carriers owned by NYK Lines. The six-cylinder, 62-bore engine demonstrated approximately 30% lower methane emissions compared to its non-VCR counterpart, resulting in total methane slip of about 0.83% of gas consumption.
This figure is significantly lower than the default emissions values stipulated by EU and IMO regulations for low-pressure, low-speed dual-fuel engines. The potential for even greater reductions exists for engines with larger bore sizes. Peter Krähenbühl, WinGD’s Vice President of Product Centre, stated that the company has dedicated the past decade to ensuring that X-DF engines not only possess remarkable reliability and low capital costs but also minimize overall greenhouse gas emissions. The methane slip and fuel consumption reductions achieved with VCR are crucial as carbon pricing measures become more prevalent.
As a result, WinGD reports over 100 new X-DF engines with VCR have already been ordered. The VCR technology automatically adjusts the engine’s compression ratio to optimize combustion based on load, fuel type, and environmental conditions. This technology is applicable to all new X-DF engines, and a retrofit option has also been developed and tested on a pilot vessel, yielding promising results. WinGD is actively supporting regulatory frameworks that permit shipping companies to report actual methane slip measurements, aligning with both European and IMO standards.
Additionally, X-DF engines inherently offer low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and reliability in fuel consumption, adhering to updated IMO NOx Technical Code requirements without needing to alter fuel consumption figures. WinGD aims to transition LNG as a marine fuel from fossil sources to low or zero-emission alternatives, further enhancing its commitment to reducing the overall greenhouse gas impact associated with LNG usage. The company remains focused on advancing its LNG engine platform alongside ammonia and methanol-fuelled engines, ensuring diverse cost-effective fuel options for ship operators pursuing various decarbonization strategies.