CSSC Marine Service Co (CMS), the worldwide equipment service subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC), has successfully completed the world’s first ever 36,000 running hours major maintenance on dual-fuel (DF) marine engines. The overhaul was carried out by CMS Korea at the Malaysia Marine & Heavy Engineering (MMHE) shipyard in June 2022.

The vessel, SK Audace – an 117,000 gross tonnage LNG tanker owned by Total Gas & Power Chartering – operates with six WinGD X62DF twin engines. Having completed more than 36,000 operating hours, a major service was scheduled in accordance with class society and design specifications. The full package maintenance project included condition-based and post-completion consulting. CMS is WinGD’s authorized service partner.

“The extensive service capabilities of CMS have again been emphasised with the successful completion of this landmark maintenance project,” said Mr.Yan Wei, the Vice President of CMS. “Not only was it the first 36,000 hour overhaul of a DF engine, but the spare parts supply had to be carried out under challenging lockdown circumstances because of Covid-19. Most importantly, the overhaul confirmed the excellent condition of the WinGD engines.”

SK AUACE in dry dock of MMHE (Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering)

“For me, CMS always provides peace of mind. They work with great attention to detail, and I’m grateful for their meticulous and professional work. They support the customer from preparation of the project through to its completion. They are a business partner that I am happy to cooperate with, now and in the future, “ commented  Superintendent of the SK Audace.

The design qualities of the engines were demonstrated throughout the disassembly of the moving parts and overhauling work, both during the 36K project and the 18K project two years ago. In both cases, CMS had to overcome challenging circumstances caused by the Covid pandemic. The CMS service engineers are fully trained to have good technical knowledge and the appropriate skills for each individual project. Most have extensive working experience on DF engines.

LNG carriers and vessels powered by gas engines continue to represent the major share of newbuild projects. DF engines have been the choice of many ship owners for a number of years already, and their popularity continues to increase. CMS not only prepares spare part stocks for DF engines,  but also plays a supporting role in maiden voyages and  warranty support issues. The company’s extensive servicing experience with DF engines has been the driver for numerous long-term service agreement signings.

CMS supports its customers with its own servicing capabilities in China, Korea, Singapore, Hamburg, Germany and Switzerland. The company supplements these capabilities with global coverage using partner service facilities.