The 10,100 teu Seaspan Yangtze, built in 2014 and chartered to Hapag-Lloyd, has undergone a successful three-month dual-fuel engine retrofit at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (Shanghai), engineered by Everllence company, PrimeServ, and enabling the vessel to operate on methanol as well as conventional fuel.
Since redeployment at the beginning of June, Seaspan reveals that the ship’s energy efficiency existing ship index (EEXI} is now showing a level 55% below the international minimum standard in the IMO’s Phase O requirements for new ships. This is set out in its parallel measure of energy efficiency, the design index (EEDI), which is the baseline standard for the carbon footprint of new vessels.
The engine firm claimed that customers can now rely on proven upgrade projects that guarantee a relatively short period of offshire, protecting earnings, fuel flexibility, and improving emissions performance. For operators with ships trading in regions of the world where carbon penalties apply, these are significant selling points.
Hapag-Lloyd’s Director Fleet Innovation & Project, Christoph Thiem, said: “The Seaspan Yangtze retrofit shows that upgrading existing vessels to methanol dual-fuel operation is no longer a concept, but a proven and repeatable engineering solution. By combining OEM engine expertise, careful project preparation and close coordination with Seaspan, Everllence and the shipyard, we were able to deliver a technically complex conversion on time and support the vessel’s readiness for lower-carbon fuel operation.”
This is the 30th dual engine upgrade successfully undertaken by PrimeServ involving alternative fuels including LNG, methanol and LPG, and marks accelerating demand for retrofits to older existing ships.