This morning (June 28), Shanghai COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. held the 2024 Marine Alternative Fuel Transformation Industry Exchange Seminar and Methanol Dual-fuel Modification Promotion Conference in Changxing. At the meeting, experts in the global shipbuilding industry conducted in-depth discussions on the cutting-edge industry prospects, market dynamics, and technical solutions for the transformation of marine alternative fuels, and carried out experience sharing and exchanges.
It is understood that dual-fuel ships refer to the mode in which ships can choose clean energy fuels or traditional fuels at will, and clean energy fuels are generally methanol, LNG (liquefied natural gas), ammonia, etc. As an internationally recognized clean fuel, green methanol fuel has the advantages of low carbon emissions and renewable energy throughout the life cycle, and is an important way for ships to transition to low-carbon and zero-carbon. "Over the years, I have carried out a very harmonious cooperation with Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries, and I have regarded Shanghai as my second hometown. I think the ship dual-fuel retrofit is a very large market and deserves in-depth study. Klaus, general manager of the transformation business of MAN Energy Solutions Group, told reporters.
"At present, as a high value-added ship and one of the mainstream ship types in the market, the transformation and research and development of large methanol dual-fuel container ships is the focus of competition among shipbuilders in the world." Yan Hao, commercial director of Shanghai COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., introduced that in recent years, Shanghai COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry has actively explored the methanol dual-fuel conversion market, and created a precedent for domestic shipyards in the field of dual-fuel ship modification by practicing the new model of "green production, digital operation and intelligent manufacturing".
Shanghai COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co., Ltd
In March this year, Shanghai COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. and COSCO SHIPPING Container Shipping Co., Ltd. signed a contract for the dual-fuel transformation of standard container ships. On June 26, Shanghai COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. once again signed a methanol dual-fuel conversion agreement with Sespan, the world's largest independent container shipowner, to undertake the methanol dual-fuel conversion project of 50,000 container ships. The work is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with an estimated refit period of 80 to 90 days per vessel.
A conventional fuel ship that is about to be converted into a methanol dual-fuel container ship
The successful signing of a number of conversion orders marks another important breakthrough in the field of green alternative fuel transformation for ships. A series of refit projects not only meet the needs of the new round of global ship low-carbon and zero-carbon fuel technology revolution, but also conform to the national "double carbon" strategic goal, which is of great significance for enterprises to build a green, low-carbon, intelligent ship and marine engineering repair and modification flagship factory, and help Changxing build a world-class marine equipment island.
In the future, COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industries Shanghai will focus on its strategic positioning, continue to promote the development of green alternative fuel transformation of ships, and strive to build a flagship factory for green, low-carbon, intelligent ship and offshore engineering repair and modification, so as to contribute more to the green transformation of the global shipping industry.
Reporter: Yang Yichen, Zhang Zhihao
Editor: Chen Jinyuan