News
A.P. Moller-Maersk has set out a large scale-retrofit program for its time-chartered fleet working with 50 shipowners of around 200 vessels.
A total of 1,500 individual projects have been executed across the 200 vessels in the program, and further 1,000 projects are in the process of execution with completion in 2027.
The main aim of the program is to reduce the slot cost by improving fuel efficiency and cargo-carrying capacity leading to a decrease in both cost and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Of the around 200 vessels being retrofitted, a common and significant change to the vessel configuration is the replacement of the propeller or bulbous bow. The integration of an optimally designed bulbous bow reshapes water flow around the hull to reduce drag and enhance hydrodynamic efficiency, ultimately lowering fuel consumption.
Other retrofit solutions, such as auxiliary engine waste heat recovery systems, allow steam production from auxiliary engine heat, reducing the reliance on fuel-oil-fired boilers. Similarly, the installation of shaft generator systems cuts down auxiliary engine usage, contributing to significant fuel savings. Cargo-carrying capacity is also being enhanced through a range of structural and technical improvements: elevating the wheelhouse to improve line of sight and increase intake, raising the lashing bridges, strengthening the vessel’s deadweight capacity for deeper drafts and upgrading both lashing systems and loading computer functionalities.
