TOTE Inc., courtesy of being the first in the world to order containerships powered by LNG, have been leaders in the push to design and build tonnage ahead of the emissions regulation curve. The company again makes headline with the announcement that TOTE Maritime Alaska has contracted MAN PrimeServ – MAN Diesel & Turbo’s after-sales division – to convert a pair of RoRo ships, North Star and Midnight Sun to dual-fuel operation on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Today the vessels are powered by four × MAN 58/64 engines and will be retrofitted to MAN 58/64 retrofit units.
“TOTE Maritime Alaska is excited to convert its fleet to LNG power which will result in a significant reduction in air emissions including particulate matter, sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). This significant investment of time and money is a reflection of our commitment to the environment, our customers and the state of Alaska” saidMichael Noone, President of TOTE Maritime Alaska.
“We have been investigating and testing many options for shifting the fleet to LNG. The conversion of the existing engines is the most reliable and beneficial solution” said Peter Keller, Executive Vice President of TOTE. “This innovative solution that has been developed in partnership with MAN, will be an important milestone for the industry as we all prepare for the IMO sulphur cap in 2020.”