Copyright offshore-energy
German engine maker Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions) has completed what it hails as “the world’s first” conversion of its two-stroke engine to dual-fuel methanol running, following the sea trials wrap-up of a 20,000 TEU containership owned by China’s COSCO Shipping Lines. As informed, the vessel in question is the 200,000 dwt COSCO Shipping Libra. The conversion involved the Everllence B&W S90 two-stroke engine, i.e., the retrofitting of the seven-year-old ship’s 11S90ME-C engine to an 11S90ME-LGIM (-liquid gas injection methanol) unit. The ship had recently also marked China’s inaugural ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operation, when it was refueled with 2,100 tons of this clean fuel at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Shanghai) (CHI Shanghai)’s shipyard terminal. According to the German marine technology player’s officials, Everllence’s after-sales division PrimeServ worked together with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry from concept to execution in delivering the ‘world’s first’ S90 methanol engine retrofit, which encompassed a full-scope effort covering engineering, installation, commissioning, sea-trials and project management. As part of the process, Everllence reportedly invested in a dedicated 4S90 testbed engine in Japan that was commissioned earlier this year. The company has said that the testbed ‘confirmed’ the engine’s methanol performance under real-world operating conditions, which is considered to have sped up its readiness for this ‘first-ever’ large-bore milestone. Per Everllence, the retrofitting project performed on the 399-meter-long COSCO Shipping Libra further validated the viability of methanol as a marine fuel, which has gained increased attention from maritime stakeholders in addition to ammonia. Given the current methanol landscale, the company further shared its belief that the potential for more large-bore conversions is ‘significant’, with over 300 vessels globally that are presently fitted with the S90-class engines, therefore acting as possible candidates for similar initiatives. It is worth noting that Everllence recently also presented “the world’s most powerful” two-stroke methanol engine. As part of a May 2025 announcement, Everllence elaborated that its MAN B&W 12G95ME-C10.5-LGIM (-liquid gas injection methanol) type engine—built by CSSC-MES Diesel Co., Ltd. (CMD), a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), China CSSC Holdings Ltd, and Japan’s Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding—would be ready for handovers in June. The engines are bound for 24,000 TEU container vessels, of which seven are being constructed at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS) for COSCO’s subsidiary, Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), while five more are being built at Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (DACKS) for shipowner COSCO Shipping Lines. The units are to be delivered between 2026 and 2028.
