Logistics company completes first large container vessel conversion to dual-fuel methanol engine
Maersk has announced that, as the first large vessel in the industry, the container ship Maersk Halifax has been converted into a dual-fuel vessel able to operate on methanol.
The retrofit operation was conducted at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China over 88 days with completion at the end of October 2024.
”We are happy to announce that Maersk Halifax successfully has been retrofitted into a dual-fuel methanol vessel,” said Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at Maersk.
”Following the completion of the sea-trials, Maersk Halifax has returned to operation and is now servicing our customers on the Trans-Pacific trade.”
The engine conversion was carried out by Man Energy Solutions. Besides replacing machine parts and thereby making the engine able to operate on methanol, the retrofit operation at the yard involved adding new fuel tanks, fuel preparation room and fuel supply system.
The hull has also been expanded to accommodate the fuel tanks.
With this change, the length of the ship was extended by 15 metres to 368 metres, increasing the capacity from around 15,000 to 15,690 TEU, Maersk explained.
Since we set the ambitious climate goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines,” Sonzio continued.
”In the coming year, we will take learnings from this first conversion of a large vessel.
”Retrofits of existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels,” he added.
Maersk Halifax, which is one of 11 vessels in Maersk’s Hong Kong-class, departed anchorage at the yard on 4 November 2024.
