COSCO Heavy Industry Shanghai Co. Ltd. has signed a contract with MAN Energy Solutions for the methanol retrofit of four main engines from COSCO Line’s ‘Camellia’ and ‘Virgo’ -class vessels – 13,800 and 20,000 teu respectively. Currently equipped with single-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-C10.5 engines, the vessels will be retrofitted to dual-fuel MAN B&W 11S90ME-LGIM10.5 units capable of operating on fuel-oil or methanol, in the process becoming the first vessels in COSCO’s fleet to sail on methanol, according to MAN's release.
The contract also includes an option for the retrofit of an additional nine vessels from the line’s 20,000 teu ‘Virgo’ and ‘Pisces’ -classes. COSCO Heavy Industry Shanghai Co. Ltd. will act as complete turnkey solution provider for the COSCO Line retrofits.
MAN Energy Solutions will provide a solution package comprising engineering, parts, project management, onsite technical assistance at yard, sea-trial assistance and recertification service for the engine retrofits. To this end, the company has undertaken an R&D programme and invested in a testbed to develop the S90-LGIM (Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) retrofit solution. The first vessel of the series is scheduled for retrofit in Q2 2025 when these vessels will also become the first fitted with S90-LGIM engines to sail the world’s oceans.
The new order follows on the heels of the recent methanol retrofit order by A.P. Moller – Maersk, the Danish integrated logistics company – for the retrofit of the G95 main engines aboard 11 of its container vessels to dual-fuel. More than 300 vessels globally are currently equipped with S90 engines and MAN Energy Solutions expects this new business to kick off a major wave of S90 retrofits.