MAN ES unveils ‘next generation’ two-stroke methanol engine

German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) is set to deliver what it hails as “the world’s most powerful” two-stroke methanol engine.

As disclosed, the MAN B&W 12G95ME-C10.5-LGIM (-liquid gas injection methanol) type engine is presently being built by a Chinese licensee, CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd. (CMD), a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China CSSC Holdings Ltd, and Japan’s Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding.

The engine, based on the manufacturer’s ME series, will reportedly be ready for deliveries in June 2025.

According to MAN ES, the engine is the inaugural unit out of twelve bound for a series of a dozen 24,000 TEU container vessels, which are anticipated to operate in a carbon-neutral fashion due to the technology.

Seven of those vessels are being constructed at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) for COSCO’s subsidiary, Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), while five more are being made at Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (DACKS) for shipowner COSCO Shipping Lines. The delivery of these boxships is staggered between 2026 and 2028.

As informed, each of the engines that will be fitted onto the ships will also feature MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary EGRTC (Exhaust Gas Recirculation Turbocharger Cut-out) emissions system, which is described as among the ‘biggest’ two-string EGR systems on a two-stroke engine available.

Reflecting on the event, Bjarne Foldager, Head of Two-Stroke Business, MAN ES, called the development the “latest fulfillment” of the company’s “Moving Big Things to Zero” vision.

“By harnessing the potential of methanol, we are bringing the maritime industry closer to zero-emission solutions and we fully expect methanol to feature prominently as a future fuel across all segments,” he added.

Christian Ludwig, Head of Two-Stroke Sales and Promotion, MAN ES, further highlighted: “As we move toward a multi-fuel future, interest in methanol has grown steadily. To date, between newbuild engines and retrofits, we have won over 230 ME-LGIM references that have accumulated over 600,000 hours running on methanol alone.”

Ludwig has also noted that while methanol produced from renewable sources is appealing due to its low carbon intensity, an engine using green methanol carries the potential to offer carbon-neutral propulsion.

With the maritime industry’s target to decarbonize getting closer and closer, interest in alternative fuels, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG), ammonia and methanol, as well as hydrogen, has been increasing.

Even though LNG has vastly dominated eco-friendly ship orderbooks, methanol emerged as one of the most appealing options for stakeholders in 2024, with numerous shipping companies commissioning yards to construct methanol-powered units (32% of the AFI orderbook), largely boxships.

It is also understood that methanol is among the lowest total cost pathways, preceded by ammonia and hydrogen, which gives it another layer of importance for maritime transportation players who have to juggle fuel affordability, safety, infrastructure readiness, and regulatory compliance in their decarbonization strategies.

Among notable developments within this segment this year are the deliveries of the 13,000 TEU CMA CGM Argon, which was handed over in May, of the 65,700 dwt Ultramax bulk carrier Green Future, described as the “world’s first” methanol-powered dual-fuel unit of its type, as well as the 16,000 TEU Adrian Maersk, which was added to its owner’s roster in March this year.

In terms of orders, 2025 saw, for instance, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a part of Japan’s heavyweight Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, bag a booking for three methanol-fueled roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo ships in March 2025 and COSCO Shipping Bulk turning to compatriot shipbuilder Qingdao Beihai for a pair of ammonia and methanol-ready bulk carriers.

What is more, MAN ES and COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (CHI) joined forces in April 2025 to collaborate on a retrofitting initiative for existing ships so that they could run on new, cleaner fuel options like methane, methanol and ammonia.