Maersk has announced that it has successfully completed the sector’s first methanol conversion project.
It took the Chinese Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard 88 days to convert the Maersk Halifax. The operation was completed at the end of October.
In addition to replacing machine parts to allow the engine to run on methanol, the retrofit operation, which involved the German company Man Solutions, involved fitting new fuel tanks, which required extending the hull by 15 metres. The vessel is now 368 metres’ long. Its capacity has increased from around 15,000 TEUs to 15,690.
“Since we set the ambitious climate target of reaching net zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines,” said Leonardo Sonzio, Head of Fleet Management and Technology at Maersk.
“Retrofits of existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels,” he concluded.
Translation by Giles Foster
