Wärtsilä, in partnership with Chevron Shipping Company, plans to convert one engine on six of Chevron Transport Corporation’s LNG Carriers from dual-fuel to spark gas operation. The conversions are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering methane slip.
This marine industry first was made possible after two years of collaboration between the companies. The order for the first two vessels was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2024.
LNG, when burned as a fuel, results in small amounts of methane that may not fully combust leading to methane escaping into the atmosphere, referred to as methane slip. Methane exists in the atmosphere for a shorter time than CO2, but traps approximately 25 to thirty times more heat over a 100-year period.
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From dual fuel to spark gas
Addressing methane emissions is a key part of lowering carbon intensity. Wärtsilä’s 50 dual fuel (DF) to spark gas (SG) conversion project is designed to modify the engines in service to operate as SG, using spark ignition versus diesel pilot fuel to initiate combustion. This enables a more optimised combustion process, thereby reducing the methane slip and improving efficiency.
‘This innovative project represents a notable step forward on the road to advancing lower carbon fleets,’ says Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä Marine and executive vice president at Wärtsilä Corporation. ‘Wärtsilä has an extensive track-record in reducing methane slip from LNG-fuelled engines, not only as newbuild solutions, but also through retrofitting existing installations.’
Picture: Wärtsilä, in partnership with Chevron Shipping Company plans to convert one engine on six of Chevron Transport Corporation’s LNG carriers from dual-fuel to spark gas operation (photo Chevron Shipping).
