Seaspan Corp’s new box ships to use ME-GI dual-fuel engines

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has confirmed an order for 10 MAN Energy Solutions 8G95ME-GI10.5 engines to power the 15,000-TEU container ships it is constructing for Seaspan Corporation.

The vessels are scheduled for delivery in H1 2023 and will immediately begin 12-year charters for ZIM Lines, serving the US east coast trade.

MAN Energy Solutions head of promotion and customer support, two-stroke business Thomas S Hansen said “This is just the latest order the well-proven ME-GI concept has won in recent months. Its service experience, low methane slip, high efficiency, and fuel flexibility – whether running on fuel-oil or LNG – remain unparalleled in a market whose momentum towards a zero-carbon future is growing rapidly.”

The ME-GI engines will come with a newly introduced pump vaporizer unit, which ensures an optimal integration between the engine and LNG-supply system.

MAN Energy Solutions announced in January 2021 that its low-speed, dual-fuel references in their entirety had exceeded 360 units, with the ME-GI recording over 1.5M operating hours on LNG alone.

MAN Energy Solutions has also developed an ME-LGI dual-fuel engine that expands the company’s dual-fuel portfolio, enabling the use of more sustainable fuels such as methanol and liquefied petroleum gas.

Seaspan, a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Corp, has a current operating fleet of 127 vessels, representing a total capacity of approximately 1,073,000 TEU. Since December 2020, Seaspan has acquired two vessels and ordered 31 newbuilds which will add a further 487,000 TEU to the fleet, including the 10 15,000-TEU dual-fuel LNG vessels.