Seaspan Corp and Hapag-Lloyd to convert five vessels to methanol-fuelled main engines
The 10,000-TEU Seaspan Thames is one of five sister ships to be converted to operate on green methanol (Source: Seaspan Corp)
The world’s largest owner of container ships, Canada’s Seaspan Corp, and Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd are to convert five 10,000-TEU container ships from conventional fuel main engines to dual-fuel methanol-powered vessels in a project costing USD 120 million. The conversion will be undertaken by MAN Energy Solutions. Hapag-Lloyd is a major charterer of Seaspan-owned vessels.
The five container ships to be converted are Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, Seaspan Yangtze and Seaspan Zambezi.
All five vessels – built in 2014 – are currently powered by MAN S90 main engines, and after conversion they will all be long-term chartered to Hapag-Lloyd. Each retrofit will take between 80 and 90 days per vessel, with work starting in the first quarter of 2026.
Each conversion could result in a CO2 reduction of 50,000 to 70,000 tonnes annually when operating on green methanol.
In July 2023, both companies announced that they would retrofit 15 individual MAN B&W S90-type fuel oil powered engines to ME-LGIM engines capable of running on green methanol. The agreement includes an option for 45 more engine retrofits.
