The retrofit took place at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China. Credit: A.P. Moller – Maersk.

Danish shipping company Maersk has completed the conversion of a large container vessel, Maersk Halifax, to a dual-fuel methanol engine.

The retrofit was carried out at Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China and took 88 days, concluding at the end of October this year.

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The ship departed from the yard’s anchorage on 4 November 2024.

MAN Energy Solutions spearheaded the engine conversion, which involved replacing machine parts to enable methanol operation.

The retrofit also included the installation of new fuel tanks, a fuel preparation room, and a fuel supply system.

Additionally, the ship’s hull was expanded to fit the new fuel tanks, extending the vessel’s length by 15m to a total of 368m.

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This expansion has increased the capacity of the Maersk Halifax from approximately 15,000 TEU to 15,690 TEU.

Maersk fleet management and technology head Leonardo Sonzio said: “We are happy to announce that Maersk Halifax successfully has been retrofitted into a dual-fuel methanol vessel. Following the completion of the sea-trials, Maersk Halifax has returned to operation and is now servicing our customers on the Trans-Pacific trade.

“Since we set the ambitious climate goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040, we have explored the potential in retrofitting existing vessels with dual-fuel engines. In the coming year, we will take learnings from this first conversion of a large vessel.”

The Maersk Halifax is part of Maersk’s Hong Kong-class fleet, which consists of 11 vessels.

Recently, Maersk Tankers ordered bound4Blue’s wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS) for five of its vessels.

The agreement marks bound4blue’s largest WAPS deal to date, involving the installation of 20 type-approved eSAIL suction sails on five MR tankers during dry dock periods in 2025 and 2026.