Japanese engineering firm Mitsui E&S has completed factory acceptance testing of the first methanol dual-fuel WinGD large marine engine built in Japan, the company announced on its website on Monday.

The 6X82DF-M-1.0 LP-SCR engine was manufactured by group company Mitsui E&S DU at Mitsui E&S's Tamano Works facility. The unit also marks the first WinGD large marine engine to be produced at the Tamano plant. WinGD, a Swiss-based marine engine designer formerly part of Wärtsilä and now a subsidiary of CSSC, licenses its low-speed two-stroke designs to builders worldwide; the X82DF-M series is designed for large vessels such as container ships and bulk carriers.

Methanol dual-fuel engines can operate on either conventional marine fuels or methanol, providing operators with fuel flexibility. Methanol combustion produces lower sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions compared with conventional heavy fuel oil, and the engine is equipped with a low-pressure selective catalytic reduction (LP-SCR) system for further NOx reduction. The technology has drawn growing interest across the shipping sector as the industry works toward International Maritime Organization greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The engine is scheduled for installation on the first of four vessels currently under construction for an unnamed Japanese shipowner.

Mitsui E&S attributed the successful production of the WinGD engine at Tamano to its partnerships with engine licensors WinGD and Everllence, as well as the facility's next-generation fuel supply infrastructure.

The group is additionally working to boost large marine engine production efficiency by integrating operations across its Tamano and Aioi facilities. This effort aligns with Japan's broader push to expand domestic shipbuilding capacity, as the country seeks to strengthen its position in high-value maritime engineering amid competition from shipbuilders in China and South Korea.

Source: Ship & Bunker