16 March (Lloyd's List) - MATSON and MAN Energy Solutions have signed a contract to retrofit the main engine of a container vessel to burn liquefied natural gas as fuel. The conversion of the gas-ready main engine of the 2019-built, 3,620 teu Kaimana Hila (IMO: 9719068) follows an agreement to convert its sister vessel, Daniel K. Inouye (IMO: 9719056). The agreement included an option to convert Kaimana Hila, now exercised.
“This will be the third vessel Matson is retrofitting with dual-fuel LNG capability,” said Jack Sullivan, SVP of Matson’s vessel operations and engineering department. “Each retrofit is a meaningful step toward achieving our corporate sustainability goals to achieve a 40% reduction in scope one greenhouse gas fleet emissions by 2030 and net zero scope one greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
Matson last year said it has plans to replace the conventional-fuel main engine of the 20-year-old, 2,800 teu containership Manukai (IMO: 9244130) with a dual-fuel engine.
The retrofit of Kaimana Hila and Daniel K Inouye will provide for conversion of their existing MAN B&W 7S90ME-C engines to become MAN B&W 7S90ME-GI-types to enable operation on both LNG and conventional fuels. The conversions require the fitting of three LNG fuel tanks to each vessel which are being sourced from C-LNG Solutions.
MAN Energy Solutions will provide a pump and vaporiser unit that will be integrated into each vessel's gas fuel supply system which will vaporise the liquefied fuel to gaseous form for supply to the main engine.
Daniel K Inouye is expected to be converted in China by the middle of this year though no conversion date has yet been confirmed for Kaimana Hila. Both vessels service Matson’s US west coast to China, via Hawaii, route.
Matson has the potential to convert at least two other ships in its fleet to burn LNG. They comprise the 2020-built, 2,750 teu, sister vessels Lurline (IMO: 9814600) and Matsonia (IMO: 9814612) which were specified as gas-ready vessels.
Last November, Matson confirmed a newbuilding contract for a trio of 3,600 teu newbuildings of similar specification to Kaimana Hila and Daniel K Inouye. However, the newbuildings will be capable of operating on LNG from their delivery in 2026 and 2027.
Just two containerships have so far been converted from conventional fuel to gas-fuelled propulsion — Hapag-Lloyd’s 15,500 teu Brussels Express (IMO: 9708784), which was converted in 2020, and the 1,036 teu Seaboard Blue (IMO: 9504059), which was converted in 2017.
