Seaspan Inks Deal with MAN for Methanol Engine Retrofits

The world's largest containership lessor Seaspan Corporation has signed an agreement with MAN Energy Solutions to refit 15 of its vessels with dual-fuel engines capable of running on cleaner burning methanol.

Under the conversion commitment agreement, signed by Seaspan in collaboration with liner shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, MAN’s after-sales division MAN PrimeServ will deliver 15 engine retrofit solutions for conversion of vessels powered by individual MAN B&W S90-type fuel-oil-powered engines from the Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd fleets to dual-fuel ME-LGIM engines capable of running on green methanol. The agreement includes 45 optional engine retrofit solutions.

According to MAN, each conversion can provide a CO2 reduction of 50,000–70,000 tonnes each year, when operating on green methanol.

Bing Chen, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Torsten Pedersen, Chief Operating Officer, signed the Agreement on behalf of Seaspan, while Thomas Leander, Head of Solutions and Site Manager, Frederikshavn, Denmark; Jens Seeberg, Head of Retrofits & Upgrades, MAN PrimeServ Denmark; and Brian Østergaard Sørensen, Vice President and Head of R&D, Two-Stroke Business signed on behalf of MAN Energy Solutions. The development of this solution opportunity has been led by Thomas Leander of MAN Energy Solutions, Peter Curtis of Seaspan and Richard von Berlepsch, Managing Director Fleet of Hapag-Lloyd.

Leander said, “Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd, are significant maritime stakeholders with strong fleet-decarbonization commitments and strategies. This agreement shows clear intent to drive the industry transition toward zero-carbon shipping. Retrofitting existing engines to dual-fuel running is one of the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to derive greater efficiency and profitability from an existing shipping fleet, while simultaneously delivering fuel flexibility and extending operational lifetimes. Crucially, this also avoids the unnecessary building of additional tonnage with associated CO2 emissions, and thereby showcasing that retrofitting the existing maritime fleet is an important and feasible path.”

MAN Energy Solutions developed the ME-LGIM (-liquid gas injection methanol) dual-fuel engine for operation on methanol, as well as conventional fuel. The engine is based on the company’s ME-series, with its approximately 8,500 engines in service, and works according to the diesel principle. When operating on green methanol, the engine offers carbon-neutral propulsion for large merchant-marine vessels. Currently more than 100 ME-LGIM engines are on order or in service, more than 50 of which are G95ME-C10.5-LGIM variants. Methanol carriers have already operated at sea for many years using the engine..