With shipowners pressed to upgrade machinery to meet strict new emission targets, there\u2019s much confusion with chatter surrounding \u00a0\u2018decarbonization\u2019 and \u2018future fuels\u2019, solutions that don\u2019t exist today \u2013 and may not exist in mass for another generation \u2013 cluttering the conversation. Enter Wabtec, formerly GE Transportation, which today offers a Tier 4 compliant engine with no need for urea. Is it the cheapest propulsion solution on the market? No. But the Pennsylvania-based engine builder mounts a compelling case for its 250MDC diesel engine based on performance, fuel efficiency and lifecycle costs<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Offering a power solution that is proven across industries, and compliant with the highest environmental regulation with the bonus of accomplishing this without the extra cost and hassle of a urea treatment system would seemingly make Patrick Webb\u2019s job easy. But seemingly that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s confusion around EPA Tier 4 emission requirements and decarbonization,\u201d said Webb, a maritime industry veteran who serves as Wabtec\u2019s Global Senior Sales Director, Marine, Stationary and Drill Group. \u201cWhere the EPA is focused on lowering pollutants that cause serious health issues, the media seems to be focused on lowering carbon. Also, there is very little real availability of different renewable (fuel sources) across the US and around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Webb and his team at Pennsylvania-based Wabtec are eager to share the story of the company\u2019s medium speed, EPA Tier 4 compliant engine, which today has more than 100 engines installed in vessels, representing an aggregate of more than 1,000,000 cumulative hours running. \u00a0\u201cWabtec has an awesome, proven solution that allows vessels to operate at the extreme EPA Tier 4 emission level, without any need for urea, but many customers are still fighting to try and find ways to avoid this emission standard,\u201d citing recent examples where operators \u2013 commercial and government \u2013 choose to install a larger number of smaller horsepower engines to effectively circumvent Tier 4 emission standards. \u201cThere is a lot of talk about cleaner emissions, but behind the scenes, there has also been efforts to avoid cleaner emission and the perceived cost and hassles of this next level of emission control.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the challenges, Wabtec has enjoyed measured success in recent years. \u201cWabtec Marine Diesel has transitioned from a near 0% market share in the U.S. before EPA Tier 4 rules came out,\u201d said Webb. \u00a0\u201cSix years later, the Wabtec Tier 4 Marine Diesel has captured nearly 50% of these new engine sales in the 1.7MW to 4.5MW powerband. This success is in large part associated with the fact that Wabtec Marine Diesel is the only engine of its type that can achieve the strictest emission standards with no need for urea.\u201d The Engine<\/strong><\/p>\n The L250\/V250MDC diesel engines from Wabtec meet U.S. EPA Tier 4 and IMO Tier III emission standards with advanced exhaust gas circulation (EGR) and without the need to use urea. The omission of urea is a particularly important designation. \u201cThe Wabtec advantage with its Tier 4 engine starts with the fact that there is no urea needed, meaning that you don\u2019t have to allocate the space for the extra equipment needed for the tanks and storage of urea; and also, from the cost of ownership,\u201d said Matthew Hart, Platform Leader, Marine & Stationary Power Systems, Wabtec. \u201cThe Tier 4 250MDC product is EGR-based, with increased robustness designed into the power assembly, two-stage turbocharging and high-pressure fuel injection. It\u2019s about fuel efficiency too, and its impact on the total cost of ownership.\u201d While the Wabtec team is quick to admit that the 250MDC is not the cheapest engine on the market, according to Hart. When all is taken into consideration there is a payback period of approximately 18 to 24-months.<\/p>\n In addition to the hardware, Wabtec has built into the engine a sensor array that is common for its rail customers, \u00a0and is now starting to make headway in the marine industry. \u201cThese are digital engines,\u201d said Hart. \u201cThat comes with increased capability for onboard diagnostics on the Tier 4 engine, there\u2019s improved diagnostics because of all the sensors that are related to Tier 4 emissions control.<\/p>\n According to Hart, the rail industry is more advanced in the collection and use of data, with modems on the locomotives that continuously stream data. \u201cWe have a global performance optimization center that collects that data and sends out recommended actions. It\u2019s a little bit of a different service structure in the locomotive space, but we\u2019re looking at how we can expand that on the marine side.\u201d<\/p>\n He noted that data connection on the marine side is the tough part. \u201cVessels operate everywhere, and a lot of times without connectivity, so there\u2019s a more manual step of making the data accessible and then processing it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, he and the Wabtec team hope to help the maritime industry transition from calendar-based to condition-based monitoring, \u201cso it\u2019s not just the diagnostics of when something fails, but we move ahead to predictive maintenance, saying \u2018Hey, you should change this part, change this filter because we\u2019re seeing this trend on the engine.\u201d<\/p>\n While some companies may be hesitant to share data, Peter Twichell, Director, Project Management, Marine Customer Support, said that increased data share and analysis can help support owners to increase their uptime. \u201cUptime is critical in the maritime industry, and in our experience, they\u2019ve been very supportive,\u201d said Twichell. \u201cWe really don\u2019t have much pushback from the client when we ask for log files if we explain it in regards to troubleshooting or predictive management, particularly if we can identify and fix an issue faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Put to the (Reinauer) Test<\/strong><\/p>\n Christian Reinauer, Reinauer Transportation, perhaps better than anyone, can deliver insight on the long-term value of the Wabtec Tier 4 solution. Reinauer operates a fleet of ATBs and tugs out of NYC, with a total of 24 barges and 23 Tugs. Of that fleet, Reinauer has four Senesco Marine-built tugs of three classes using the Wabtec 250 series engines: Bert Reinauer with 2x 12V250; and the Josephine, Kristy Ann and Janice Ann Reinauer, all with 2x 6L250.<\/p>\n In discussing the rationale behind the selection of Wabtec, Reinauer said, \u201cWe had built a fleet of vessels using MTU 16V4000 series, and with the Tier 4 requirement MTU did not have an approved solution to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n So Reinauer started looking at the full range of engine offerings from all manufacturers, it settled on the Wabtec design with the omission of urea as a major selling point. \u201cWe felt the EGR design was a good choice since it had been around for awhile,\u201d said Reinauer. \u201cThe DEF solutions required considerable exhaust system design, which we really didn\u2019t have room for, as well as approximately 8% of the vessels capacity dedicated to the storage of DEF. DEF fluid is somewhat caustic to metals so the tanks would have to be specially coated to handle it, which down the road would be a maintenance headache.\u201d<\/p>\n Reinauer also said that maintenance needs to be performed on the catalysts, \u201cwhich again made designing in for ease of maintenance a headache and additional cost to overhaul. \u00a0The (Wabtec) engines were more expensive up front and more difficult to install but at the end of the day we have a better economy and crew comfort for the life of the vessel.\u201d<\/p>\n Even in the best of conditions, there are learning curves and technical hiccups when integrating new machinery across a fleet, and Reinauer was not exempt. \u201cWe have only had a few issues of any real consequence: a few EGR coolers and valves which (our) engineers can swap themselves; a water pump and a seawater pump; a few engine power supplies and sensors. Otherwise, according to Reinauer, parts have been installed based on scheduled maintenance.<\/p>\n Reinauer Transportation is known in maritime circles as a long-term player operating quality tonnage with a penchant to attract and retain the technical talent it needs. \u201cSupport, in the beginning, was a little tough to figure out, but with most OEMs support, we find that we are our best first option,\u201d said Reinauer. \u201cWe train our engineers, supply them with all necessary spare parts and only call on their techs for additional support.\u201d As anyone running ships can attest, keeping the machinery running is one part of the equation, keeping the machinery running while maintaining profitability is another matter, particularly as fuel prices have spiked in recent months. \u201cWe see very good fuel consumption and extremely low oil consumption which is one of the ways they can get to Tier IV emissions without aftertreatment,\u201d said Reinauer. \u201cServiceability is very good, not as simple as an EMD but they have their advantages in other areas with regards to Tier 4.\u201d<\/p>\n Future Fuels and Emissions<\/strong><\/p>\n Reinauer Transportation, like many owners, is faced with difficult choices in regards to choices made today that will impact its costs and operations in the future. Chris Reinauer likes to keep it simple: \u201cAs long as the engines we operate are modern and well maintained and our hull forms are fair, there isn\u2019t a more efficient means of transportation. Some people think Zero Emissions are right around the corner but unfortunately, that\u2019s all you hear coming from certain political circles. I agree we need to move forward but batteries are not the answer especially when you consider the energy used to produce them. Hybrid vessels should be used where transits are shorter and local emissions tend to be higher. Ferries are a wonderful application for this as well as ship docking tugs, vessels that are not pulling or pushing 24 hours a day,\u201d said Reinauer. \u201cWe on the other hand do not have that luxury and need the most concentrated amount of energy to run at full power for up to a week in some cases. CNG is making inroads but the infrastructure for us to use it is a decade or further away,\u201d citing the lower energy density and the need for larger fuel tanks as primary drawbacks. \u201cWe continuously look at the development of alternative fuels, and most likely in the next 10 years we will start implementing (them) somewhere in our fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n Wabtec operates a pair of manufacturing plants in Pennsylvania: one in Grove City, its primary, 440,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility, and a sister plant about an hour away in Erie, a facility mostly dedicated to locomotive engine remanufacturing. \u201cOther than castings and forgings, which are sourced, it\u2019s a full manufacturing, assembly and final engine testing plant,\u201d said Twichell. With a cumulative 650 manufacturing employees split between the two plants, Wabtec typically builds about 1,500 engines per year, primarily for locomotive as well as marine.<\/p>\n In addition to engineering a strong product to start, Wabtec fully realizes the power of a qualified dealer partner network, or \u2018Channel Partners\u2019 as Wabtec calls them, according to Tamara Gromacki, VP, Marine, Stationary Power and Drill Business. Wabtec monitors its channel partner performance closely, and \u201cif we see that they may be struggling in some service area, Pete Twichell and his team will go in and try to help them increase their skillsets.\u201d Becoming and remaining a Wabtec channel partner is not in perpetuity, as contracts generally run for a year or two, and the renewal process looks at their cumulative skillsets and personnel to ensure that the organization maintains the ability to serve the end customer, remaining \u201cthe right fit for Wabtec.\u201d<\/p>\n While the main manufacturing facility has been around since 1971, it\u2019s virtually a new and modern plant courtesy of a 2017 transformation via General Electric \u201cBrilliant Factory\u201d program, with upgraded machinery \u2013 including NC machining, laser etching, laser welding, robotic cell and full emissions testing as well \u2013 plus new lighting and paint.<\/p>\n With its in-house test beds, Wabtec is able to experiment with a full range of technologies and fuels to ensure that its engines are not only ready to meet the challenges today but to effectively future-proof the engine for changes coming. The future fuel conversation is a pervasive one throughout Wabtec, and according to Hart it breaks down into two groups: one would be biofuels, biodiesel and renewable diesel; the second one would be the lower, no carbon fuels: hydrogen, methanol and ammonia. He said that renewable diesel is the most immediate \u201cdrop in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll hear from a lot of renewable fuel suppliers that this will have the most immediate impact, however, it\u2019s quite expensive and needs to be subsidized to be a cost-effective solution. But, for a luxury provider or someone who\u2019s really making a dent in their carbon emissions, it\u2019s a fantastic option,\u201d said Hart. \u201cSo, we\u2019re looking at running on 100% renewable diesel, and the biggest interactions there are on the fuel system, the elastomers and filtration, making sure that everything\u2019s going to operate reliably. There definitely are maintenance impacts for some of the biodiesels, and we\u2019re looking at doing the durability testing and the field testing with some of our vessel owners and channel partners to fully validate<\/p>\n Flipping over to the low and no carbon fuel options of hydrogen methanol ammonia, Hart goes back to the real estate axiom of \u2018location, location, location,\u2019 noting that choice will be driven largely by where an owner is located and operates and pending the fuel access in specific locales. \u201cHydrogen seems to be a little bit more conducive to a stationary or land-based access point. Methanol and ammonia seem to be a little bit more what the marine industry is favoring, and what we\u2019re seeing too, is the industry somewhat being fragmented still on what substitution rates want to be included. So, you may not be able to run 100% hydrogen or 100% methanol or ammonia.\u201d Keeping the \u201cDigital Engine\u201d Cyber Secure As ship and boat owners increasingly adopt the promise that digitalization promises to deliver \u2013 from condition-based monitoring and maintenance and engine and voyage optimization \u2013 the potential peril of cyber-attacks must be considered, lest a vessel have its propulsion mains shut down, putting vessel, crew and environment in harm\u2019s way.To that end, the Wabtec team worked diligently to obtain ABS CyberSafety Service Provider Certification.<\/p>\n \u201cWabtec created a vulnerability report and analysis according to the requirements of ABS CyberSafety Volume 7,\u201d said Mike Taylor, Technical Leader, Marine & Stationary System Engineering, Wabtec. \u201cThis report is a comprehensive examination of the control system, listing out access points, the topology or architecture of the system, and an analysis of potential vulnerabilities within the system.\u201d<\/p>\n Wabtec provided extensive documentation regarding internal risk management, policies and procedure, change management and configuration control, as well as details about the Wabtec Incident Response Team, said Taylor. In addition, it designed and presented Cybersecurity Training to all relevant employees. To get the Service Provider PDA with ABS, Wabtec conducted a Type test with the classification society in attendance, as well as a Cybersecurity Audit, to demonstrate that the Wabtec ECS-4 Control System meets the ABS Equipment requirements, according to Taylor. Finally, Wabtec prepared and presented a Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise, an exercise designed to educate and get participants thinking about potential cybersecurity hazards and courses of action.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to reduce the number of penetration points and make sure that we\u2019re not propagating any part of a cyber security concern as these vessels are extremely complex. The engine is just one piece of it and there are many access points to the vessel to be able to get into the engine. We want to make sure that we try to have a buffer between any other penetration points, which might be available in another third-party system that could potentially penetrate our system, as well. As an example, all our software loading is through a software tool that Wabtec has developed, to get rid of cyber threats through USBs.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n maritime professional<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With shipowners pressed to upgrade machinery to meet strict new emission targets, there\u2019s much confusion with chatter surrounding \u00a0\u2018decarbonization\u2019 and \u2018future fuels\u2019, solutions that don\u2019t exist today \u2013 and may not exist in mass for another generation \u2013 cluttering the conversation. Enter Wabtec, formerly GE Transportation, which today offers a Tier 4 compliant engine with …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-maritime-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/31252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.al-sindbad.net\/rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
8L250MDC. Image courtesy Wabtec<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/imagesedit.marinelink.com\/images\/storage\/w800h450\/1219181628bhdr.jpg\"\/)
\u201cAs long as the engines we operate are modern and well maintained and our hull forms are fair, there isn\u2019t a more efficient means of transportation…\u201d \u2013 Christian Reinauer, Reinauer Transportation. Image courtesy Reinauer Transportation<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cSome owners run the engine and work through our channel partners for regular maintenance and repairs, focusing their attention on other aspects of running their business,\u201d said Twichell. \u201cThen you have customers like Reinauer that are independent. If one of their engines needs a field modification, Chris Reinauer will say, \u2018Just send us the part and instructions, we\u2019ll install it. We know what we\u2019re doing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/imagesedit.marinelink.com\/images\/storage\/w800h600\/e57ca623.jpg\"\/)
Inside the Wabtec factory. Image courtesy Wabtec<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
Ultimately, the future fuel question lies outside of the engine room and across the entire vessel, as variable energy densities will demand significant vessel design modifications for tanks and additional machinery.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/imagesedit.marinelink.com\/images\/storage\/w800h450\/0905181609a.jpg\"\/)
Tug Josephine has a pair of 6L250s. Photo courtesy Reinauer Transportation\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n