WinGD delivers climate-friendly methanol engines to China

WinGD is supplying methanol engines for four new 20-foot ISO container ships that are being built for COSCO SHIPPING Lines. The engines from the Winterthur-based marine engine developer will be delivered by the engine builder CSSC CMD in Shanghai, which is jointly developing the engines with WinGD, according to a statement.

The statement writes that the companies signed this "ground-breaking order" at a ceremony at CMD on 23 March. The four ships will be among the first methanol-fueled container ships built in China and reportedly represent a significant investment in China's green transformation strategy. Methanol is a carbon-neutral fuel and is therefore considered climate-neutral.

The ships will be built by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) Co. Ltd. and are scheduled for delivery from 2025. The first three ships will be equipped with the methanol-capable X92-B engine, which has long been deployed by leading containership owners such as COSCO SHIPPING Lines, MSC and CMA CGM. These three engines will be converted for methanol before entering service.

The 10X92DF-M methanol engine, which only the fourth ship will receive immediately, is based on this technology. This will make it “the first to have methanol engines installed from the beginning”. 

As soon as the fourth vessel in the series is delivered, WinGD plans to launch a methanol package for the X92-B engine, according to Dominik Schneiter, Vice President R&D at WinGD: “The COSCO SHIPPING Lines order is an ideal move, helping us to strengthen our expertise in both newbuilds and conversions of methanol engines based on our well established X92-B platform.”