Danish shipping company Maersk said the Halifax, the industry’s first large container ship, has been converted into a dual-fuel vessel capable of operating on methanol.
The refit operation was carried out at the Zhoushan Xinya shipyard in China for 88 days and was completed at the end of October 2024.
“We are pleased to announce that the Halifax has been successfully refitted to become a dual-fuel vessel using methanol. Following the completion of sea trials, this containership is back in operation and is now serving our customers on the transpacific route,” said Leonardo Sonzio, Director of Fleet Management and Technology at Maersk.
The engine conversion was carried out by MAN Energy Solutions . In addition to replacing engine parts to enable the engine to run on methanol, the modernisation operation at the shipyard has included the addition of new fuel tanks, a fuel preparation room and a fuel supply system. The hull has also been extended to accommodate the fuel tanks. With this change, the ship’s length has been extended by 15 metres to 368 metres, increasing the capacity from around 15,000 to 15,690 TEU (20-foot containers).
“Since we set ourselves the ambitious climate goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential of retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines. Next year, we will learn from this first conversion of a large vessel. Retrofitting existing vessels can be an important alternative to newbuilds in our transition from fossil fuels to low-emission fuels,” explained Leonardo Sonzio.
Maersk’s Halifax, one of the company’s 11 Hong Kong-class vessels , left the shipyard’s anchorage on November 4, 2024.
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