MAN Energy Solutions has signed a Conversion Commitment Agreement with Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), a global leader in containership ownership and management in collaboration with Hapag-Lloyd, one of the leading global liner shipping companies.

Under the terms of the agreement, MAN PrimeServ, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, 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.

This agreement includes 45 optional engine retrofit solutions. Each conversion can provide a CO₂ reduction of 50.000–70.000 Tonnes each year, when operating on green methanol.

Seaspan is the largest global containership lessor, primarily focused on long-term time charters with the world’s leading container shipping lines. With an industry-leading newbuild program of 70 vessels, Seaspan will bring its owned fleet to a total of 200 vessels and 1.9 million TEU capacity.

With a fleet of 250 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 1.8 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. Hapag-Lloyd aims at operating its vessels in a climate-neutral manner to become net-zero carbon by 2045.

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 proven 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. (Earlier post.)

Methanol carriers have already operated at sea for many years using the engine, and, as such, the ME-LGIM has a proven track record offering great reliability and high fuel-efficiency.