Rolls-Royce launches new LNG engine

Rolls-Royce launched on Wednesday its latest in a series of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled marine engines.

Power output of the LNG-fuelled B36:45 engine is identical to that of the liquid-fuelled B33:45 at 600kW per cylinder at 750 rpm, according to a Rolls-Royce statement.

Specific energy consumption is a low 7300kj/kWh mechanical ISO including two engine driven pumps; specific lubricating oil consumption is less than 0.4g/kWh.

The B36:45 is available in six, eight and nine-cylinder in-line configurations. A V-12 version is now in development, which will be followed by a 20-cylinder V-engine for very high-power applications, the statement said.

Rolls-Royce claims that the latest Bergen gas engines are able to achieve up to 22 percent lower green house gas (GHG) emissions than the equivalent diesel-fuelled version.

As most LNG is sulphur-free fuel, sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter emissions are virtually eliminated, while emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) are reduced by over 90 percent compared to an equivalent diesel engine, the statement said.

This means that the Bergen B36:45 is able to meet IMO Tier III and EPA Tier 3 emission levels without the need for additional selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems, it said.