Caterpillar Marine has received DNV approval in principle for its Cat 3500E methanol ready marine main and auxiliary engines.
The Cat 3500E engines are available in 12-cylinder (up to 1901kW) and 16-cylinder (up to 2525kW) configurations.
Caterpillar Marine will provide update kits for the 3500E in addition to offering new methanol-burning engines.
Caterpillar anticipates its new Cat 3500E methanol-ready engines will have a significant impact across all maritime segments, especially tugs and other vessels that require high-power propulsion for heavy loads.
“Caterpillar Marine is pleased that the DNV review was successful, as it marks an important product development milestone for us,” stated Caterpillar Marine vice president and general manager Brad Johnson.
Methanol will play an important role in the maritime industry’s energy transition efforts.
Brad Johnson
“Methanol will play an important role in the maritime industry’s energy transition efforts, and we look forward to providing vessel operators with high-quality methanol solutions.”
In parallel with the methanol engine development, Caterpillar says it is also exploring other alcohol-based fuels.
The company has started testing these fuels in the same engine and will provide more information as the development progresses.
Caterpillar Marine first announced its investment in methanol engine technology in 2022 as part of its combustion technologies innovations.
The company also announced methanol-readiness for its 3500E-series marine engines in 2022 which would be capable of being modified to run as dual-fuel engines in the future.
Earlier in 2024, the company announced plans to deploy the first set of field demonstrator methanol dual fuel 3500E marine engines with Damen Shipyards Group in 2026.
