Introduces various measures to reduce emissions from its ships

Padmesh Prabhune

Seaspan, in its bid to meet future emission regulations, is working with various design companies and classification societies to investigate how it could convert its ships from conventional heavy fuels to ammonia or LNG or methanol. To reduce emissions from its ships, Seaspan has introduced measures that reduce drag, utilize more fuel-efficient engines, improve cargo-loadability, and introduce cleaner-burning fuels such as LNG. It is also exploring other low and zero carbon fuels, such as green methanol and ammonia.

As part of its strategic partnership with the Maersk McKinney Moller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, Seaspan is taking the lead in the development of an ammonia fueled 15,000 TEU DF container vessel. The project has helped not only to develop the necessary knowledge, risk assessments and design considerations in order to safely operate an ammonia fueled ship but has helped immensely in curbing marine pollution. ABS presents Seaspan Corporation and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping with AiP for Foreship-designed ammonia-fueled container vessel – Foreship

Seaspan will also secure Approval in Principle (AiP) from DNV and Lloyd’s Register, for the conversion of its SAVER 10,000 TEU and SAVER 11,800 TEU vessels to methanol fueled.

Based on the learnings of 2023, Seaspan plans to carry out further conversion studies, so as to convert these vessels to low carbon, clean burning fuels when the time is right.

Apart from this, the company under its new build program is building 70 ships in a phased manner over a period of three years from yards in Korea and China.

The fact however remains that across the maritime industry more than 95 percent of ships today are powered by internal-combustion engines (ICEs) that run on various petroleum products, such as heavy fuel oil (HFO), marine gas oil (MGO), and marine diesel oil (MDO).

The introduction of several alternative marine fuels is considered an important strategy for maritime decarbonization. These alternative marine fuels include liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied biogas (LBG), hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, ethanol, and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Seaspan’s decarbonization strategy is not just about meeting internationally regulated targets, but to actually exceed those targets by a considerable amount. To meet and exceed the IMO’s GHG reduction targets, Seaspan has developed a decarbonization strategy based on four pillars; that comprises of:
Continuous Efficiency Improvement
Transition Pathways
Fleet Insights
Market based Initiatives

Seaspan’s planning and investments today are supporting that vision for the future.

Marex Media