FuelTech has developed a higher-pressure gas valve train for the Everllence ME-GI 10.7 marine engine platform, which uses a gas injection pressure of 380 bar. The Danish company’s GVT Mk V combines revised internal flow passages, an updated valve design and improved access for maintenance. It is available to order, with the first commercial deliveries expected from the third quarter of 2027.
The gas valve train controls the passage of methane from a ship’s fuel gas supply system towards the engine. It must also isolate fuel flow during normal and emergency shutdowns and allow residual gas to be handled through the designated venting arrangements. These functions link the fuel supply equipment to the engine’s controls and safety systems, so the valves, pipework and electronic equipment have to work together under defined pressure conditions.
Everllence’s ME-GI 10.7 engine generation raises the gas injection pressure requirement to 380 bar. FuelTech has configured the new train to accommodate that operating specification and revised the internal passages to reduce pressure losses as gas moves through the equipment. At high pressure, the available delivery pressure is affected by restrictions in valves, pipework and connections. The revised geometry is intended to support gas flow through the train while meeting the engine’s fuel supply requirements.
FuelTech has also developed new valve components with durability and operating life among the design objectives. Valves in a high-pressure gas circuit must perform their normal control function while remaining capable of dependable isolation when required. The position of each component determines how service personnel can inspect, reach and replace it, which makes the physical layout relevant to both routine maintenance and fault recovery.
The Mk V provides access from four service sides instead of the three available on the preceding arrangement. Electronics have been grouped and repositioned, and the mechanical components have been reorganised to make inspection points easier to reach. These changes are intended to reduce the access work needed around the valve train. Installation drawings and the surrounding machinery-space arrangement will determine how much of that access remains available once the equipment is fitted aboard a vessel.
The updated layout is based on a substantial installed reference fleet. FuelTech reports delivering more than 900 gas valve train units and supplying equipment used on more than 800 vessels worldwide. Those figures relate to its established products across earlier generations. The Mk V is the new offering intended for the ME-GI 10.7 pressure requirement, and the first commercial units are scheduled for delivery in 2027.
Maintaining a valve train at sea involves more than replacing an individual valve. Connections to fuel pipework, control wiring, sensors and the surrounding safety equipment must remain accessible for inspection and testing. Grouping components and providing an additional service side can make those procedures easier to plan, particularly where the equipment sits among other machinery. The resulting maintenance arrangements will be determined by each ship’s installation rather than by the valve train in isolation.
FuelTech’s design also addresses changing engine performance requirements. Higher gas injection pressure is one characteristic of the ME-GI 10.7 platform, whose operating efficiency depends on the combined combustion system and fuel supply installation. The gas valve train must provide fuel at the required pressure and shut it off safely when demanded. Fuel consumption and nitrogen oxide emissions are engine-level performance measures, so the Mk V’s contribution will be assessed as part of the integrated propulsion system.
FuelTech manufactures high- and low-pressure equipment for dual-fuel marine engines and also works on systems involving methanol and ammonia. The Mk V described here is specifically designed for LNG propulsion, with the gas valve train handling methane. Its introduction extends the supplier’s existing LNG equipment range as engine builders adjust injection pressures and system requirements. Fuel selection continues to influence vessel design, bunkering arrangements and how operators maintain onboard fuel equipment.
The company operates from Denmark and maintains offices in Korea and China, reflecting the geographical spread of marine engine building and commercial ship construction. A new gas valve train has to fit the specifications of the engine maker as well as the installation requirements of the shipyard and vessel operator. Service access, electronic integration and pressure compatibility are therefore practical design issues alongside the component’s ability to control the fuel flow.
With orders now being accepted and initial deliveries expected from Q3 2027, FuelTech’s next step is to move the revised configuration into production and customer installations. Shipbuilders and equipment integrators will incorporate the four-sided service arrangement and higher-pressure interfaces into their machinery layouts, after which operating experience will show how the changes affect maintenance and reliability in service.
