MAN Energy, COSCO Partner on Decarbonization-Based Retrofits
COSCO will contribute its engineering, procurement, and construction work for large-scale ship modifications, while MAN will deliver engine and digital technology solutions.
MAN Energy Solutions and COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries (CHI) agreed to collaborate on future decarbonization-centric retrofit projects, specifically modifying existing ships to fire low-carbon alternative fuels like methane, methanol, and ammonia, all of which may be produced via power-to-X methods. Currently, MAN and CHI are partnered on two key projects for container-ship-owning companies.
“I am pleased to announce that CHI and MAN Energy Solutions, having served shared clients in their respective domains, are now forging a closer collaboration in vessel decarbonization,” said Guo Zhiqiang, Deputy General Manager, CHI Commercial Headquarters. “Starting today, our integrated one-stop solutions will inject new impetus into the green transition of the global maritime industry.”
Under this new partnership, CHI will leverage five shipyards to repair and modify approximately 1,500 vessels per year, in addition to using its engineering, procurement, and construction experience for large-scale ship modification projects.
Signing of framework agreement; image credit: MAN Energy Solutions
“This framework agreement facilitates MAN Energy Solutions’ partnership with CHI, one of the largest repair-yard groups in the world,” said Michael Petersen, Senior Vice President, Head of MAN PrimeServ Denmark. “The agreement means that we can join forces on many future projects to ensure the decarbonization of the existing commercial fleet worldwide. Today, there are some 4,500 vessels globally with the potential to benefit from changing their current bunker fuel to more environmentally friendly options. We look forward to working with CHI to deliver new decarbonization solutions to the maritime industry.”
On MAN Energy’s side, the company will combine its dual-fuel engine-retrofit technology and digital-based energy efficiency software with CHI’s repair and modification services, decarbonizing merchant fleets on a global scale.
Maritime Decarbonization
Last week, MAN Energy Solutions agreed to deliver two 16-cylinder 175D-MEM engines to the Netherlands’ Royal Niestern Sander Shipyard, which will construct a multi-purpose CO2 carrier for Wagenborg Operator: the EasyMax 5. Each engine will generate 2,400 kW at 1,800 rpm, powering the vessel for offshore, substrate CO2 storage. The EasyMax vessel features a 14,000-ton cargo capacity and will be chartered by INEOS Denmark. MAN will deliver the engines in 2025.
The CO2 will be captured at a Danish biogas plant, then transported to Esbjerg for loading onto the EasyMax 5. From here, the carrier will deliver and store the captured CO2 at the Greensand site offshore Denmark in the North Sea. MAN Energy’s 175D generator sets will input more power to the vessel’s CO2 pump and dynamic positioning systems, improving discharge operations during offshore storage.
More MAN Energy News
In March 2025, MAN Energy Solutions and EDF PEI signed a maintenance-based partnership agreement for power-generation plants on the French islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, and Corsica. Until 2031, MAN Energy’s PrimeServ will handle engine and auxiliary maintenance operations for each plant. The Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion plants use 12 18V48/60 engines, and the Corsican plant uses seven 18V51/60 engines.
The contract represents over 100,000 hours of annual maintenance executed by a 30-person team, allowing EDF PEI to achieve nearly 95% availability on power assets. The engine operational intervals range between 36,000 – 102,000 hours, with each plant satisfying environmental requirements for fuel consumption, noise, and exhaust emissions.
