The 4S50ME-X9.7 research engine heads to Research Centre Copenhagen
Built in South Korea. Shipped to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Power: 7,120 kW (about 10,000 bhp)
Weight: 272 tons Length: 14 meters Width: 7 meters Height: 10 meters
Our projects in Copenhagen have changed in character
and have become extremely complicated engine designs.
There is a growing need to have another engine to conduct research.
That’s why we’re here today.
Right now, it’s built to run on diesel.
But the first thing we’ll do when it arrives at our Research Centre Copenhagen is refit it
so it can run on other fuels
It’s ready to run on liquid natural gas, liquid propane, ammonia or methanol
We have an idea where we’re headed in terms of new fuels
but we don’t know the end destination
Now it will be sailed through Copenhagen’s harbor and lifted ashore
It’s a four-cylinder engine. A bore of 50 cm
Produces nearly 10,000 bhp.
But this is actually a tiny engine
Our largest ones produce that much power per piston
On the crane, it weighs 185 tons
The last leg takes place on land
At 8 o’clock, it’s scheduled to move out
We’ve worked for about two years to bring this to Denmark, including design work
The design work continued during production
because new requirements spring up all the time
We’re facing new challenges all the time with regard to engine types
so the design work has been a little difficult
The technology we use today compared to just 10 years ago is significantly more complex
So that means our turnaround
when we want to conduct new research and develop new products
– it takes much longer for us
And that’s why we need an extra platform that we can develop on
It’s approaching 8 am
What’s going to happen now is, we’ll move the flatbed up to the crane
But there’s still one big hurdle:
we have to make sure the foundation doesn’t settle when the motor touches down
And when that’s complete, then we can relax a little bit again
This engine will help develop the CO2-neutral fuels of the future
The research we conduct on this little engine can be scaled up to world’s largest engines
Our goal for 2030 is to have reduced CO2 emissions by 40%.
And by 2050, it should be possible to have completely CO2 neutral shipping.
