Methanol-Fueled Engine

Methanol is an environmentally friendly fuel that, when combusted, reduces sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions by up to 99%, soot (PM) emissions by up to 95%, nitrogen oxide (NOx) by up to 80%, and carbon dioxide (CO₂ ) by up to 15%, in comparison with heavy oil, the main marine fuel used today. It is also relatively easy to store and handle because it remains in liquid form at room temperature and pressure.

As for methanol-fueled engines, a project was launched in 1988 by a group of government officials, related companies, and experts within the framework of the “Methanol Engine Promotion Committee” as part of a clean energy feasibility study. The LH28M, based on the LH28, the main engine of the time, was developed and tested, but was not shipped. This project never materialized after that, but with the recent increase in environmental awareness and reduction of GHG emissions, methanol is starting to attract attention as a fuel, and we are now in the process of developing a methanol-fueled engine conforming to the present-day rules, while following the technology of the time.

The LH28M methanol-fueled engine was developed more than 30 years ago, but the engineers who knew it back then have since retired, so we had to start over from scratch based on past data, which sometimes left us perplexed about this untested methanol-compatible technology.
Also, at that time, there were no regulations related to methanol for ships, and the LH28M designed at that time did not comply with current ship regulations. We went back and forth with the classification society to ensure compliance with the regulations, and repeatedly made changes to the design, which was the most labor-intensive and difficult part of the process.