World's most powerful methanol dual-fuel marine engine

The new engine uses industrial methanol as fuel, weighs 1,953 tons with a maximum design capacity of 64,500 kW.

The world's most powerful methanol dual-fuel marine engine. Photo: CMG

China unveiled the world's most powerful domestically developed marine methanol engine in Shanghai on Feb. 25, a major step forward in the maritime industry's shift to green and low-carbon technology. It will soon be installed on a 16,000-TEU (standard six-meter container) container ship, marking its first operational deployment.

Developed by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), the new engine uses industrial methanol as fuel, weighs 1,953 tonnes and has a maximum designed power of 64,500 kW. It is also equipped with an advanced digital intelligent control system, achieving a methanol substitution rate of more than 95% compared to traditional diesel and reducing CO2 emissions by more than 7.5%.

Dong Jingjin, project manager of methanol engines at CSSC Power, highlighted the new engine's environmental friendliness. “If the engine operates for 300 days a year, it will reduce carbon emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 72,000 conventional passenger vehicles,” he said.

Dong said there is still a huge demand for methanol engines. “In the next two to three years, we plan to introduce a series of methanol engines and expand them to chemical tankers and special-purpose ships, providing more sustainable and efficient energy solutions,” he said.

“China’s shipbuilding technology has long been recognized as one of the best in the world. The launch of the world’s most powerful methanol marine engine shows that we are not only focusing on quantity but also prioritizing quality and environmental sustainability,” said Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University. But there are many practical challenges to be solved, including manufacturing costs and the ability to deploy them at scale, Lin said.

China's maritime economy grew 5.9% in 2024, surpassing US$1.48 trillion for the first time and contributing 0.4 percentage points to the country's GDP growth. Marine engineering equipment manufacturing, which has led the world for seven years, grew 9.1%, with added value exceeding US$14.2 billion, according to data released by China's Ministry of Natural Resources on February 24.

Thu Thao (According to ECNS)