Classification Society ClassNK granted an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Osaka Gas for their joint project with Daihatsu Diesel on an LPG Reformer for marine engines. This was the first AIP granted in Japan for such equipment.
The LPG Reformer is designed to convert LPG into synthetic methane gas equivalent to the kind found in LNG. Due to being mainly composed of propane and butane, LPG is susceptible to knocking (abnormal combustion), making it difficult to use as a fuel for lean burn gas engines and dual fuel engines. In contrast, by converting LPG into synthetic methane gas with the LPG Reformer prior to fueling the engine, the risks of knocking can be restrained, resulting in equivalent operational performance observed when using LNG. Additionally, by using LPG as fuel, the emission of environmentally harmful substances like SOx and NOx can be significantly reduced compared to when using conventional heavy oil fuels, allowing for compliance to the 2020 IMO SOx regulation and more by using marine engines themselves.
