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The Swiss engine developer WinGD from Winterthur in the canton of Zurich has received its first orders for ethanol-powered X-DF-M/E engines. The drives will be installed in two Newcastlemax bulk carriers with a deadweight tonnage of 325,000, which are being built for the Chinese shipping company Shandong Shipping and will be operated by the mining company Vale from Brazil. The ships are being constructed at Beihai Shipbuilding in China.
Each ship will be equipped with a six-cylinder 6X82DF-M/E two-stroke engine that can predominantly run on ethanol. The basis is WinGD’s existing methanol concept, which has been adapted for ethanol. According to the company, ethanol and methanol are considered technically similar, but differ in their energy density.
Ethanol is gaining importance as a marine fuel, as it is available in several regions worldwide. Particularly Brazil, from where the ore transports to China are expected to originate, has large production capacities. Vale expects that greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 90% compared to heavy fuel oil. The delivery of the engines is scheduled for 2029.
