Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. has developed a liquefied natural gas-fueled ship engine that emits less carbon dioxide than heavy oil.

KHI showed the ME-GI engine to reporters at the company’s factory here Feb. 18.

The engine applies high pressure on LNG and burns the gaseous form to obtain momentum for a ship’s pistons.

It is more fuel-efficient than steam turbine-powered or electrical propulsion-powered engines using LNG, KHI said. The engine can also be powered by heavy oil.

Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co. and South Korean manufacturers are working on similar LNG-fueled ship engines, but they have yet to market the products.

Introducing the ME-GI engine for ships, however, faces hurdles. Since it is technically difficult to precisely control the atmospheric pressure of LNG, a hefty initial investment is required to install a special device to regulate pressure levels.

Moreover, KHI says a stable supply of LNG is required for wide use of the engine.

“We will advance preparations toward the supply of the ME-GI engine step by step,” said Kenji Shikano, manager of the basic design division at KHI’s Ship and Offshore Structure Company.

The company sees environmentally-friendly ships as a good business opportunity amid tightening restrictions by the International Maritime Organization on emissions of CO2 and other harmful substances.