A contract for the methanol retrofit of four main engines from COSCO Line’s “Camellia” and “Virgo” class vessels, has been signed between COSCO Heavy Industry Shanghai Co. Ltd. and MAN Energy Solutions. The ships, which are currently powered by single-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-C10.5 engines, will be converted to dual-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-LGIM10.5 engines, which can run on methanol or fuel oil. This will make the ships the first in COSCO’s fleet to sail on methanol.
An option to retrofit nine more ships from the line’s “Virgo” and “Pisces” classes is also included in the deal. For the COSCO Line retrofits, COSCO Heavy Industry Shanghai Co. Ltd. will serve as the full turnkey solution provider.
For the engine retrofits, MAN Energy Solutions will offer a solution package that includes engineering, parts, project management, on-site technical support at the yard, assistance during sea trials, and recertification services. In order to do this, the company has invested in a testbed and launched an R&D project to create the S90-LGIM (Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) retrofit solution. The first ship in the series is expected to undergo a retrofit in Q2 2025, making these ships the first to navigate the world’s waters equipped with S90-LGIM engines.
“It’s very promising to see one of the largest shipping companies globally choosing MAN Energy Solutions as a partner to attain their decarbonisation goals. We are committed to bringing more retrofit solutions to the market and our investment in the S90-LGIM R&D and testbed programme is a fulfilment of this promise to our customers.”
Michael Petersen, Senior Vice President and Head of PrimeServ Denmark.
The new order comes after A.P. Moller, a Danish integrated logistics business, recently placed an order for the methanol refit of the G95 main engines on 11 of its container ships, enabling them to run on dual fuels. Currently, S90 engines power more than 300 ships worldwide, and MAN Energy Solutions anticipates that this new venture will spark a significant wave of S90 retrofits.
“Our retrofit solutions are now accepted as a proven way of attaining dual-fuel capability to deliver lower emissions, and COSCO’s methanol retrofits are yet another instance of this. We are in the early days of a huge wave of dual-fuel retrofits and see many concrete projects coming online with the capacity to meet shipping’s demand for green fuels, such as e-methanol and bioLNG. We expect that owners who have opted to wait and watch over the past few years will ultimately also convert their tonnage to dual-fuel.”
Michael Petersen, Senior Vice President and Head of PrimeServ Denmark.
“2030 is the year where China targets peak carbon-emission, while 2060 is its target for achieving net-zero. The decision to retrofit the propulsion engines in its fleet to methanol operation is a bold step in the right direction from COSCO, leading the way to green transportation and maritime decarbonisation. MAN Energy Solutions will stand with COSCO all the way to ensure a smooth execution of this dual-fuel engine conversion project, strongly supported by our team in China. Furthermore, PrimeServ China is currently gearing up its market presence so as to be capable of servicing large retrofit projects at multiple yards simultaneously.”
Sarath Prasannan, Head of Region APAC
About MAN PrimeServ’s LGIM retrofit solution
MAN Energy Solutions are continuously developing and creating cutting-edge technology to help shipping reach net-zero emissions while taking into account the business and environmental objectives of owners and operators as well as the regulations of the present and the future.
One of the best methods to increase a fleet’s efficiency and profitability is to retrofit an engine for dual fuel use. A dual-fuel conversion increases return on investment by providing the fuel flexibility to take advantage of the best fuel prices and complianting vessels with local and international emission-control regulations, including FuelEU.
Existing single-fuel vessels can now function as dual-fuel vessels thanks to the -LGIM retrofit solution, which was created based on knowledge obtained from LGIM engines onboard methanol carriers operating at sea for several years. Benefits from this fuel flexibility include reduced emissions of SOx, CO2, and particulate matter, as well as the ability to run on methanol.
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