WinGD and Panasia team up to upgrade LNG dual-fuel engines

Swiss engine maker WinGD has teamed up with marine technology firm Panasia to upgrade LNG dual-fuel engines already in service with its newest emissions-cutting and fuel-saving technologies.

IMAGE: WinGD’s latest LNG dual-fuel engine. WinGD

The collaboration centres on retrofit technologies that let older LNG dual-fuel engines match the performance of WinGD’s latest newbuild engines—achieving similar fuel efficiency, emission levels and reduced methane slip.

These upgrades can bring methane slip down to about 0.7% of the fuel gas volume, more than halving the levels seen in first-generation LNG dual-fuel engines, according to WinGD.

Retrofit options include a system that cools and recirculates exhaust gas back into the engine to improve combustion, and variable compression ratio (VCR) technology, which "increases fuel efficiency by automatically optimising compression ratio depending on the fuel used and engine load," WinGD said.

The two companies aim to cut fuel use and avoid emissions penalties through these conversions.

WinGD and Panasia are already in talks with several shipowners about rolling out the retrofits across existing fleets.

By Tuhin Roy

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