Shipowner Seaspan and carrier Hapag-Lloyd are planning on retrofitting engines on a number of container ships to run on methanol.

The agreement covers the conversion of 15 engines to dual-fuel capability, with an option for an additional 45 retrofits for the two companies, according to a statement.

The retrofit will be done by engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions.

The announcement comes shortly after MAN Energy Solutions signed an agreement with Maersk to retrofit a ship to run on the green fuel.

In relation to the agreement, Maersk encouraged other major shipowners to help carriers with the conversion of ships to green fuel compatibility.

”Part of our strategy is also to enter into a dialog with the owners from whom we lease ships to find solutions. I also know that several of them have concrete plans,” Ole Graa Jakobsen, head of fleet technology at Maersk, told ShippingWatch in June.

MAN recently explained to ShippingWatch that many shipping companies are planning to retrofit their ships for green fuel compatibility.

”We are seeing huge interest and expect to close several projects this year. The idea is that the customer wants to use the asset he has already invested in, upgrading it to use new fuels that are either CO2-neutral or emit less CO2,” said the company’s Danish project manager, Klaus Dahmcke Rasmussen.

Methanol is currently one of the most promising of the alternative fuels that shipping needs to draw on if there is to be any hope of reaching the interim climate targets before the target zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In addition to methanol, ammonia and hydrogen are being considered as candidates.

Shipping companies such as Maersk, Evergreen, and MSC have ordered ships that can run on both methanol and regular heavy fuel oil, although so far there is a lack of infrastructure to produce enough green methanol for the many upcoming container ships.