Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding is to invest 5.5 billion yen ($48.8 million) in marine diesel engine development to ensure that its range meets the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission Tier III requirements.
The recent drop in NOx emission standards in NOx Emission Control Areas (ECAs) as of January 1 2016 enforced through Tier III under Regulation 13 of MARPOL Annex VI, is the most stringent to date, requiring an 80% reduction in NOx compared to Tier I levels.
For engine manufacturers, the demand for Tier III compliance requires their engines to host additional equipment and this means that the engines must undergo longer testing operational periods that will have an influence over the production capacity.
Therefore, in order to keep a steady rate of engines in production, Mitsui Engineering is investing in cooling systems and efficiency boosting equipment during the testing process. The company is also to add three platforms to increase its engine testing platform to 14, and has said it is likely to introduce machinery to accommodate larger engines in anticipation of larger container ships.
The company has stated that continuing to make compliant engines without such additional equipment could lead to a production capacity drop between 15-20%.
Mitsui Engineering aims to prepare a production system to deliver regulation-compliant diesel engines within the specific time-frames requested by customers at its plant in Tamano, Okayama Prefecture, under license from MAN Diesel & Turbo.
