MAN to convert 15,000 TEU box ship to LNG dual fuel operation

The Sajir is one of 17 LNG-ready ships that entered the Hapag-Lloyd fleet with its acquisition of UASC

MAN Energy Solutions has signed a contract for the conversion of the 15,000 TEU Hapag-Lloyd container vessel MV Sajir to dual-fuel operation (see earlier story).

The Sajir is one of 17 LNG-ready ships that entered the Hapag-Lloyd fleet with its acquisition of UASC and the project will entail the conversion of an existing, HFO-burning MAN B&W 9S90ME-C engine to a dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-GI (-Gas Injection) prime mover capable of running on HFO and LNG.

The retrofit will be done at the Hudong/ Huarun Dadong Dockyard Co., Ltd. shipyard in Shanghai, which specializes in ship repair and conversion.

“We are seeing great interest in this project from the industry as a whole. This is an excellent showcase for the conversion of a mega-container vessel to LNG and the potential benefits for the market is huge,” said Wayne Jones OBE, Chief Sales Officer and Member of the Executive Board, MAN Energy Solutions. “With this announcement, MAN Energy Solutions is once again at the forefront of technology with our ability to execute LNG conversions for both four-stroke and two-stroke engines.”

MAN’s pioneering four stroke conversion was that of the 1,036 TEU containership Wes Amelie in 2017. The ship’s MAN 8L48/60B diesel engine was successfully converted to a dual-fuel MAN 51/60DF and the vessel now meets both IMO Tier II and Tier III emission requirements/

“By converting the Sajir, we will be the first shipping company to retrofit a containership of this size to LNG propulsion,, said Richard von Berlepsch, Managing Director Fleet Management at Hapag-Lloyd. “With this unprecedented pilot, we hope to learn for the future and to pave the way for large ships to be retrofitted to use this alternative fuel.”

The Hapag-Lloyd pilot project is scheduled to take place in 2020 when the five-year old vessel will spend 90 days in dock. The DNV-GL approved gas-storage system will occupy an area equivalent to 350 containers, including the pipework between storage and engine.

Wayne Jones added: “MAN Energy Solutions’ strategy is to provide complete, fully integrated solutions. Accordingly, MAN Cryo will install an entire gas system to supply gas to the main, as well as to the auxiliary engines, including a MAN Energy Solutions 300 bar high pressure Pump Vaporizer System (PVU).”

MAN Energy Solutions took over fuel-gas specialist company Cryo AB in 2015 and fully integrated it into its business. Under the brand MAN Cryo, the company offers systems for the storage, distribution and handling of liquefied gases.