Cummins’ proposal to collaborate with maritime partners in the development and deployment of a methanol conversion kit for its QSK60 engine has qualified for UK research funding.

Produced by the US group at the Daventry plant in the English Midlands, the 16-cylinder, four-stroke diesel in its marine version covers applications broadly in the 1,500-2,000kW range. Under the R&D endeavour, an adapted dual-fuel unit will be tested in an offshore service vessel.

The initiative is being underwritten to the tune of £4.4m($5.5m) as part of the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure(ZEVI) competition financed by the UK government and delivered through the agency Innovate UK. Cummins’ collaborators in the project are Aberdeen Harbour Board, Scotland’s largest berthage port, marine robotics company and support vessel operator Ocean Infinity, and methanol producer Proman AG.