Rolls-Royce has successfully tested the world’s first high-speed marine engine powered exclusively by methanol.
Together with their partners in the meOHmare research project, Rolls-Royce engineers have thus reached an important milestone on the road to climate-neutral and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions for shipping.
This is the first high-speed, pure methanol engine and it can work as a bridging technology on the road to climate neutrality.
Methanol provides new challenges for engineering: unlike diesel, liquid alcohol does not ignite spontaneously and requires a completely new injection technology.
Initial tests show that the engine is running smoothly – now it’s time for fine-tuning.
Green methanol is considered one of the most promising alternative fuels for shipping. If it is produced using electricity from renewable energies in a power-to-X process, its operation is CO2-neutral. Compared to other sustainable fuels, methanol is easy to store, biodegradable, and causes significantly fewer pollutants.
At the same time, Rolls-Royce is working on a dual-fuel concept that can use both methanol and diesel – a bridging technology until green methanol is widely available.
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Rolls-Royce’s goal is to offer customers efficient ways to reduce their CO2 emissions, in-line with the ‘lower carbon’ strategic pillar of its multi-year transformation programme. The project also aligns with the strategic initiative in Power Systems to grow its marine business.
