Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan Corporation entered into a partnership agreement to retrofit and convert five 10,100 TEU container ships powered by conventional MAN S90 engines to dual-fuel engines capable of operating on methanol.

In a statement, Hapag-Lloyd said following the engine retrofit, the vessels will continue to be on long-term charter from Seaspan to Hapag-Lloyd.

Dr. Maximilan Rothkopf, chief operating officer of Hapag-Lloyd, said the methanol retrofit project is a further step in the ocean carrier's ambitious sustainability agenda, which aims to achieve the decarbonisation of the entire fleet by 2045.

"By enabling these vessels to use green methanol as of 2026, we will meet our customers’ growing demand for green transportation solutions," he said.

Torsten Holst Pedersen, chief operating officer of Seaspan, said the collaboration between strong and like-minded partners, Hapag-Lloyd and Seaspan, drives innovation.

"Retrofitting must be an integral part of the strategy if the container shipping industry wants to deliver on its decarbonisation targets," he added.

To achieve its strategic decarbonisation goal, Hapag-Lloyd pointed out that its investments are not only focused on new buildings or retrofits (dual-fuel propulsion) and the optimisation of the efficiency of our existing fleet (Fleet Upgrade Program) but also on covering the exploration and sourcing of green fuels.

Green methanol is thereby emerging as one of the low-emission fuels of the future.

The vessels scheduled for retrofits are the "Seaspan Amazon", "Seaspan Ganges", "Seaspan Thames", "Seaspan Yangtze" and "Seaspan Zambezi".

The retrofit is expected to take approximately 80-90 days per vessel starting in the first quarter of 2026.

Hapag-Lloyd said the total investment is estimated at around US$120 million for the five units.