Four Cosco Line container ships are to run on methanol fuel in the future. To this end, they are to be converted first.
Cosco Heavy Industry Shanghai signed a corresponding contract with MAN Energy Solutions at Marintec for the conversion of the four main engines. The engines are intended for the Cosco ships of the “Camellia” and “Virgo” class with 13,800 and 20,000 TEU respectively[ds_preview].
The ships, which are currently equipped with single-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-C10.5 engines, will be converted to dual-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-LGIM10.5 engines, which can run on both conventional fuel and methanol. This will make them the first ships in the Cosco fleet to be able to run on methanol.
There is an option for nine more ships
The contract also includes an option for the retrofitting of nine further ships of the “Virgo” and “Pisces” classes with 20,000 TEU. Cosco Heavy Industry Shanghai Co. Ltd. offers complete turnkey solutions for the retrofitting of the Cosco Line.
MAN Energy Solutions’ package includes engineering, spare parts, project management, on-site technical support at the shipyard, support for sea trials and recertification of the retrofitted engines. To this end, the company has initiated a research and development program and invested in a test facility for the S90-LGIM (Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) retrofit. The retrofitting of the first ship is planned for the 2nd quarter of 2025. These ships will be the first to sail the world’s oceans with S90-LGIM engines.
“We are delighted that one of the world’s largest shipping companies has chosen MAN Energy Solutions as a partner to achieve its climate protection goals. We want to bring more retrofit solutions to the market, and our investment in the research and development program for S90 LGIM engines and the test facility is proof to our customers,” says Michael Petersen, Senior Vice President and Head of PrimeServ Denmark.
Duel-fuel engines have proven their worth in reducing emissions
The new order follows the recent order placed by A.P. Møller-Maersk to convert the G95 main engines in eleven of its container ships to dual-fuel operation. More than 300 ships worldwide are currently equipped with S90 engines. MAN Energy Solutions expects that this new order will provide the impetus for further S90 retrofits.
Petersen adds: “Our retrofits have proven themselves as a dual-fuel solution for reducing emissions. Cosco’s methanol retrofits are another example of this. We expect a whole wave of dual-fuel retrofits and are currently seeing many specific projects being launched to meet the shipping industry’s demand for green fuels such as e-methanol and BioLNG. We assume that ship owners, who have tended to adopt a wait-and-see approach in recent years, will eventually convert their tonnage to dual-fuel too.”
Cosco strives for a decarbonized fleet
Sarath Prasannan, Head of Region APAC, says: “In 2030, China will reach the peak of CO2 emissions. The aim is to reduce emissions to net zero by 2060. The decision to convert the fleet’s engines to run on methanol is a bold step by Cosco in the right direction towards an environmentally friendly and decarbonized future in logistics and shipping. MAN Energy Solutions will assist Cosco in the smooth implementation of this project to convert the engines to dual-fuel operation and will be actively supported by our team in China. PrimeServ China is currently expanding its market presence in order to be able to support large conversion projects at several shipyards simultaneously.”
