Matson to retrofit containership engine for LNG dual fual operation

According to a Matson investor presentation, the cost of the upgrade of the Daniel K. Inouye to dual fuel operation on LNG will be about $35 million

Matson Navigation Inc. and MAN Energy Solutions have signed a contract for the retrofit of the main engine aboard the Daniel K. Inouye.

Delivered by Philly Shipyard in 2018, the 3,600 TEU Daniel K. Inouye and its sistership Kaimana Hila are the largest containerships built in the U.S. and were designed with later conversion to LNG dual fuel operation in mind.

Under the just-signed contract, MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales division, MAN PrimeServ, will retrofit the vessel’s MAN B&W 7S90ME-C engine to an MAN B&W 7S90ME-GI type capable of operating on LNG and fuel oil. The contract includes an option for a second vessel.

“Retrofitting an MAN B&W engine to dual-fuel running is a straightforward, proven process as our standard, electronic diesel engines are already built as ‘dual-fuel ready’ and are therefore readily convertible,” said Jens Seeberg, head of retrofit & upgrades at MAN Energy Solutions, PrimeServ Denmark. “Dual-fuel retrofits offer a viable pathway to shipowners such as Matson who foster a company-wide ethic of environmental sustainability and wish to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050. Ultimately, when bio-LNG and SNG come on-line in sufficient volumes, ME-GI engines operating on these fuels will also satisfy such net-zero aspirations.”

MAN Energy Solutions says that operation on LNG is projected to reduce the Daniel K Inouye’s CO2 emissions by 24% with a maximum, guaranteed, ultra-low methane slip of between 0.20-0.28 g/kWh across the load envelope.

As part of the engine retrofit solution, MAN Energy Solutions will also provide a pump and vaporizer unit (PVU), the preferred high-pressure pump and vaporizer for MAN B&W ME-GI engines, which will be integrated into the ship’s fuel gas supply system (FGSS). The PVU pressurizes LNG to 300 bar and vaporizes the liquefied fuel to gaseous form for supply to the main engine. Its control system is based on that of the MAN B&W ME-GI engine and thus offers seamless integration and high performance in gas-mode.

After the engine rerofit, the Daniel K. Inouye is expected to continue to operate on trans-Pacific routes between the US West Coast and Asia from mid-2023.

Per Rud, senior vice president, after-sales marine & power, MAN PrimeServ said: ”We are grateful for our long relationship with Matson and the trust it has placed in MAN Energy Solutions. We will deliver this project by using the experience we have gained from our strong track record within dual-fuel retrofits. Matson has shown great market leadership by moving ahead with this dual-fuel retrofit. If peers in the shipping industry follow suit with large-scale retrofitting of ships, I believe that the industry can achieve its 2050 decarbonization goals.”