COSCO Shipping Nantong completes first dual-fuel retrofit

The project related to the conversion of a double-hull container ship, the Zhicheng, to permit its operation on liquefied natural gas as a fuel, which has successfully passed the gas trial stage and received statutory and third-party certificates were obtained.

The project represents the first dual-fuel conversion project to be carried out by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries as the project manager, responsible for the engineering design, procurement, project execution and commissioning. 

The project was also noteworthy as it was the first project to convert an engine into a MAN B&W 8G60ME-C10.5-GI-EGR engine, COSCO Shipping confirmed. The engine features MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary EGRBP (Exhaust Gas Recirculation ByPass) emissions-reduction technology. The project also entailed the installation of new dual-fuel gensets, as well as the the dismantling and design and rearrangement of all equipment, pipelines and circuits from the engine room to the aft of the original ship.

The design of the project, the selection and layout of the tank, the design and layout of the skids, and the design of vibration and noise control are distinctive. The project benefited from the support and cooperation of the MAN technical team, as well as classification societies, shipowners and shipyards.

The project also included the installation of an ultra-long shaft, which required the installation of a stern tube shaft and a propeller shaft measuring a total of 60 meters of ultra-long shafting. As a result of the conversion work, and the addition of the FGSS system and other system integration work, the crew accommodation onboard the container ship has been reduced from 13 cabins to 11 cabins.