MAN Diesel & Turbo has pledged a €2M (US$2.3M) discount to convert 10 HFO engines into gas engines.

Speaking at the Ocean 2017 Conference in Malta, MAN’s chief sales officer Wayne Jones said “We clearly recognise that our interests are best served by ensuring that the world’s oceans remain in robust, good health. MAN Diesel & Turbo believes that it is time for what we call a ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ to find clean solutions for seaborne trade and transportation.”

Jones concluded “Just recently, my company set a new benchmark with the world’s first conversion of a container ship from conventional fuel to gas operation

. In order to encourage more shipowners to follow this example, MAN Diesel & Turbo is pledging a €2M discount for 10 such LNG retrofits to convert existing HFO engines into modern, clean, efficient gas engines. In doing so, we hope to play our part in moving the world’s fleet towards the clean technology our industry and our oceans deserve.”

The term ‘Maritime Energy Transition’ stems from the German expression ‘Energiewende’ and encapsulates MAN Diesel & Turbo’s call to action to reduce emissions and establish natural gas as the fuel of choice in global shipping. It promotes a global ‘turn to gas’ driven by IMO and a common approach of the shipping industry and politics to invest in infrastructure development and retrofits.