MAN launches high-speed, biofuel-ready engine

The MAN 175D engine from MAN Energy Solutions has been formally approved for operation on up to 100% biofuels. The validation applies to standard biofuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and the engine requires no technical adjustments, the company said.

The engine range, designed to comply with existing and future emission regulations, comes in three variants of 12, 16, and 20 cylinders and is available with outputs ranging from 1,500 kW to 4,400 kW. It is intended for vessels such as ferries, offshore supply ships, tugs, and workboats. Specially adapted versions of the engine are also available for superyachts and naval vessels.

The engine company’s head of High-Speed Sales, Florian Keiler, said: “MAN Energy Solutions prepares its engines for operation on future and sustainable fuels and the MAN 175D is no exception. Several such units have been running on up to B30 biofuel in commercial, as well as governmental, applications for several years already where our experience has been very good and shown that the 175D does not suffer any loss in performance even when using these fuels.

“Due to its state-of-the-art design, just a few engine components are subject to slightly higher wear, depending on the amount of biofuel and the duration of operation. For uninterrupted engine operation, only minor adaptations of the fuel-treatment system are necessary,” he added.

MAN has compensated for the lower energy content of FAME fuels by introducing a Fuel Adaption Control that ensures the engine can continue to operate at its maximum continuous rating.