Matson to retrofit containership to dual-fuel LNG
US shipping company Matson has ordered the conversion of main engine on one of its containerships to enable LNG propulsion.
PHOTO: Matson’s containership Kaimana Hila. MAN ES
The retrofit will be carried out by MAN PrimeServ, an after-sales division of German engine maker MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES), on Matson’s 3,600 TEU containership, Kaimana Hila.
After the conversion, the vessel will be able to run on both LNG and conventional marine fuels. Matson’s containership, Daniel K. Inouye, underwent the same conversion processin June last year.
Globally, shipowners are increasingly turning towards LNG to reduce near-term emissions.
“This order is the latest example in an increasing trend of owners choosing dual-fuel retrofits for their existing vessels in service to achieve fleet-transformation goals while simultaneously gaining benefits in terms of upcoming regulations such as CII and EEXI,” MAN PrimeServ’s head of projects Klaus Rasmussen says.
The IMO's CII regulation came into force from this year and mandates shipowners to calculate an Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) for each vessel to grant them a CII rating between A-E, wherein A is the best rated.
Last year, Matson ordered three 3,600 TEU LNG-ready containerships from US-based shipbuilder Philly Shipyard for around $1 billion.
By Tuhin Roy
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