Under a contract signed in March, 2017, the SCF Group selected WinGD’s X-generation 7-cylinder, 62 cm bore type 7X62DF main engines to be fitted in series of four LNG-fuelled Aframaxes.
The ships will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Samho shipyard, while the 7X62DF engines will be built by HHI’s Engine & Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) in Ulsan.
The 7X62DF engines are rated 13,800 kW at 86 rev/min and designed to operate on either LNG, HFO, distillate or hybrid liquid fuels. The engines comply with IMO Tier III limits for NOx in their gas fuel mode and with IMO Tier II when burning liquid fuel.
To enable IMO Tier III compliance on liquid fuel operating mode, the contract also specified the supply of low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after treatment systems for the 7X62DF engines.
As well as the engine designs, WinGD will also supply its engine diagnostic system, which targets increased availability via monitoring, lower fuel costs via engine performance optimising and extension of predicted times between overhaul (TBO) of components.
The LNG-fuelled Aframaxes will be designed to Ice Class 1A and will operate primarily in the Baltic and North Seas. With the ability of the 7X62DF engines to meet IMO Tier III limitations on NOX and SOX in ECAs when operating on gas without after treatment and when burning low sulphur liquid fuel with low-pressure SCRs, the tankers are designed for worldwide trade, including ECAs.
SCF said that it anticipated that the WinGD X-DF engines will deliver substantial emissions benefits, as well as excellent total cost of ownership (TCO). To exceed rather than meet emissions legislation in the environmentally sensitive regions in which its fleet operates, SCF said that marine engines running on LNG release over 90% less SOX, over 80% less NOX, 15% less CO2 than those burning standard marine fuels. The ships’ auxiliaries and boilers will also be equipped for gas fuel operation.
“This order represents a vote of confidence in X-DF and a recognition from SCF Group and its partners of the benefits of low-pressure X-DF technology to both their business and the environment,” said Martin Wernli, WinGD CEO. “Further, with this project the SCF Group has raised the bar for environmentally-friendly Aframax tankers. Overall the order for the 7X62DF for the gas-fuelled Aframax tankers is a very clear message that our low-pressure lean burn technology is becoming the industry standard for all LNG-fuelled vessels, and not just LNG carriers.”
In addition, the WX72DF successfully passed the type approval test (TAT) on 22nd March. To date, seven engines have been built, all completing their respective shop tests (FAT).