Accelleron, a global leader in turbocharging, fuel injection, and digital solutions, is keep to set the standard for maximizing engine power and efficiency across the marine and energy sectors, earning a reputation as a trusted partner for OEMs and operators in critical industries.

In this interview, Robban Assafina speaks with Dino Imhof — Global Head of Application Engineering & Product Management, Medium & Low Speed, Thorsten Bosse — Head of Global Service Product Management, Shailesh Shirsekar — Head of Global Sales & Marketing Digital Solutions at Accelleron, and Marco Coppo — Chief Technology Officer of OMT at Accelleron, who share their insights into the company’s latest innovations, its commitment to sustainability, and its vision for the future of propulsion systems in the face of decarbonization challenges.

First, we would like to introduce Accelleron to our readers, along with the company's latest services, projects, and vision?

Dino Imhof: Accelleron's story began behind the scenes in 1905 when Swiss engineer Alfred Büchi invented the world's first industrial turbocharger. Nearly two decades later, in 1924, the first heavy-duty commercial turbocharger in Baden, Switzerland, was delivered by Accelleron's predecessor, BBC, to boost the power of a Swiss train engine. Since then, Accelleron's unwavering commitment to innovation has seen its turbochargers set the benchmark for maximizing engine power and efficiency across the marine and energy sectors.

Dino Imhof — Global Head of Application Engineering & Product Management, Medium & Low Speed

Today, Accelleron is a global technology leader in turbocharging, fuel injection, and digital solutions. With an installed base of 180,000 turbochargers, a global network of 2,600 employees, and more than 100 service stations in over 50 countries, Accelleron is the preferred partner for both original equipment manufacturers and operators in critical industries. The company continues to build on its legacy of innovation to help marine and energy leaders tackle the modern challenge of decarbonization in a world aspiring to net zero.

Accelleron's foremost contribution to sustainability and decarbonization is industry-leading turbochargers and fuel injection systems that offer unparalleled energy efficiency. This translates to a lifetime of greater fuel savings and lower emissions throughout an engine's lifetime. 

Thorsten Bosse: Through advanced engine technologies, comprehensive service offerings, and digital solutions, Accelleron can also extend the life of turbochargers through component upgrades that ensure they continue to deliver state-of-the-art efficiency. Spare parts for fuel injection systems also keep them operating with high precision and peak performance throughout their lifetimes. Accelleron's digital insights further support customers in optimizing turbochargers, fuel injection systems, and engine operations. 

With mounting pressure on industry leaders to decarbonize faster, Accelleron offers next-generation upgrades that deliver immediate reductions in fuel consumption, emissions, and operating costs. This not only enables companies to comply with new emissions regulations without prematurely replacing assets, but it also preserves the long-term value of equipment and gives businesses a competitive edge as sustainability standards continue to evolve.

Marco Coppo: Since the transition to scalable carbon-neutral fuels in shipping is critical to achieving a net zero future, Accelleron is dedicated to accelerating that transition. Accelleron's state-of-the-art turbochargers, high-precision fuel injection systems, and digital services enable marine operators to optimize energy efficiency, maximizing the potential of emerging carbon-neutral fuels. These technologies also facilitate the swift adoption of dual-fuel engines, enabling operators to use future carbon-neutral fuels like methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen as they become available while retaining the flexibility to use conventional or transitional fuels such as LNG. This approach ensures the economic viability of the energy transition.

OMT is working with most of the major engine makers in low and medium speeds, developing state-of-the-art dual fuel solutions able to operate with carbon-neutral fuels as well as distillates. In an evolving scenario where fuel options will be different in different parts of the world, flexibility is the key, and OMT's goal is to develop robust and flexible multi-fuel injection systems tailor-made to the needs of each engine maker.

Marco Coppo — Chief Technology Officer of OMT at Accelleron

What innovative technologies is Accelleron currently developing for its turbochargers and fuel injectors to enhance engine performance? And what is the company's core mission and vision in the context of these technologies?

Dino Imhof: Accelleron is ceaselessly innovating for greater sustainable impact, synthesizing new turbocharging and fuel injection design concepts, artificial intelligence and digital insights, service offerings, and emerging technologies like additive manufacturing to accelerate customer journeys to a net zero future. Accelleron's long-standing co-creation process with customers, especially engine designers, ensures that each new technology or service is integrated into the whole system to maximize efficiency, business outcomes, and environmental progress. Some of our latest innovations include:

X300-L series turbochargers, which offer flexible, future-proof solutions for two-stroke engines with platform-based design that ensures easy serviceability and integrates digital Turbo Insights technology. These turbochargers are designed to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and accommodate evolving fuel requirements.

MXP turbocharger, optimized for small-bore marine auxiliary engines (up to 2MW), offering simplified design, high efficiency, part-load performance, and cost-effective maintenance.

Marco Coppo: OMT is developing dual-fuel injection technology and products for medium-speed engines from 300 to 1200 kW/cylinder. These enable engine operation either with new carbon-neutral fuels such as methanol and ammonia or with conventional distillate fuels, providing full operational flexibility and enabling engine makers and ship owners to future-proof their propulsion system.

OMT's mission is to support its customers on the path towards decarbonization of the maritime transport industry by providing state-of-the-art fuel systems that can operate reliably with carbon-neutral fuels, providing maximum engine efficiency over time.

How does Accelleron integrate digital solutions into its offerings to optimize engine performance and efficiency?

Shailesh Shirsekar: Digitalization has become a powerful driver of decarbonization, and Accelleron equips industry leaders with data insights that allow them to shape both a sustainable and profitable future, supporting the charter process from pre-voyage estimates to post-voyage claims. Accelleron streamlines emissions planning and enhances transparency through digital carbon intensity forecasts and emissions reports. Accelleron's digital services are also manufacturer-agnostic, so any ship owner or operator can take advantage of Accelleron's unique combination of technical optimization and operational voyage optimization through a shared platform and advisory services that allow ship owners and operators to collaborate to meet both environmental and business targets.

Thorsten Bosse: Also, operational data is used as an enabler to enhance turbocharger maintenance and our service offering portfolio. We provide continuous asset monitoring together with recommendations to improve the operation of the turbocharger as well as its performance. In fact, our Smartly Enabled Services help to individually and flexibly optimize turbocharger maintenance, performance, and customer experience. 

The customer has access to our portal LOREKA, which provides turbocharger fleet information, operational limit checks, recommendations, warnings, as well as a turbocharger health index. We currently have two Smartly Enabled Service agreements available: Turbo MarineCare for low-speed applications and Turbo SmartCare for Medium-Speed applications.

Thorsten Bosse — Head of Global Service Product Management

Marco Coppo: Additionally, OMT offers digital solutions for continuously monitoring the performance of its intelligent injection systems through its patented sensing technology. It detects anomalies and wear effects that cause an increase in fuel consumption and provides maintenance advice to recover maximum efficiency.

We heard about Accelleron's latest partnership with SOMAS for managing customer support requests on a 24/7 basis for SOMAS products. How do such partnerships enhance Accelleron's presence in supporting the marine industry's sustainability journey?

Thorsten Bosse: Accelleron has been appointed as a global authorized service provider for SOMAS products, particularly butterfly valves. These valves are often used in exhaust aftertreatment systems such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), which filter out air pollutants that are crucial for marine propulsion systems to become greener and more sustainable.

The partnership allows SOMAS marine customers with access to service, offering peace of mind that the valves will continue to meet today's stringent fuel efficiency and environmental requirements. Moreover, SOMAS valves are used for the latest automated and flexible turbocharger cut-out solution of Accelleron. This turbocharger cut-out system enables significant fuel savings and, hence, CO2 reduction at medium and lower engine loads. It can be applied to 2-stroke engines equipped with 3 or 4 Accelleron turbochargers.

As Accelleron develops digital solutions for engine optimization, how does the company approach cybersecurity to protect these technologies?

Shailesh Shirsekar: At Accelleron, cybersecurity and data governance are fundamental to our software development and operations. We maintain top-tier security through proactive risk management and secure development practices, adhering to industry standards like ISO certifications and NIS2 as a minimum baseline. Additionally, we manage third-party risk and continuously update our security measures to stay ahead of evolving threats, ensuring secure and effective business operations.

Shailesh Shirsekar — Head of Global Sales & Marketing Digital Solutions at Accelleron

How does Accelleron envision the future of propulsion systems, particularly in light of the transition to electric and hybrid technologies?

Dino Imhof: Internal combustion engines will continue to dominate marine transport for their efficiency, flexibility, and durability, with dual-fuel engines becoming the industry standard. As the sector moves toward carbon-neutral solutions, efficiency and adaptability are crucial for enabling the use of scalable, sustainable fuels, ensuring smoother transitions to environmentally friendly marine operations.

Turbochargers and fuel injection systems are integral to engine systems that support shipping progress. Accelleron's turbochargers provide the most economical and sustainable way of boosting engine power, quadrupling engine output without adding size or weight. By doing so, they reduce the amount of building materials needed and thus reduce engine building costs as well as operational costs. 

Marco Coppo: In the future, hybrid technologies will provide advantages in terms of reduced fuel consumption, but the combustion engine, in a dual-fuel configuration, will remain at the heart of the propulsion system whenever energy storage space is of concern. 

For sure, due to the higher fuel costs, minimizing fuel consumption will become even more important than today, even for the auxiliary engine market, which has traditionally been capex-driven. 

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	Issue 94 of Robban Assafina (Nov/ Dec. 2024)