DANISH shipping giant Maersk has announced another industry first that will see the liner retrofit one of its ships to methanol dual-fuel

Underlining how it sees methanol as its key fuel for the 2020s, the Copenhagen-based shipping and logistics group has selected German engine maker MAN Energy Solutions for the first engine conversion set to take place in the middle of 2024, reports Singapore's Splash 247.

Detailed engineering has already started, and retrofitting the ship will also include, for instance, new fuel tanks, a fuel preparation room, and a fuel supply system.

Maersk set the ball rolling on methanol-fuelled newbuilds in 2021 with 16,000 TEU units in South Korea as part of its goal to achieve net zero in 2040.

This was followed by other top carriers, including France's CMA CGM and China's COSCO Shipping, last year. The first methanol engine retrofit is expected to replicate on sister vessels when going for special survey in 2027, the company said.

"Retrofitting of engines to run on methanol is an important lever in our strategy. With this initiative, we wish to pave the way for future scalable retrofit programmes in the industry and thereby accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to green fuels.

"Ultimately, we want to demonstrate that methanol retrofits can be a viable alternative to newbuildings," said Leonardo Sonzio, head of fleet management and technology at Maersk.

MAN ES said earlier this year that the interest in methanol as a fuel has surged and represents more than 30 per cent of all its current, open pipeline projects across a broad range of vessel segments.