MAERSK HALIFAX

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Maersk Halifax first large ship in the world to be successfully converted to a dual-fuel methanol propulsion

The shipping company Maersk has reached a significant milestone in the shipping industry with the "Maersk Halifax" being the first large ship in the world to be successfully converted to a dual-fuel methanol propulsion. The conversion of the ship, which was completed in just 88 days at the Zhoushan Xinya shipyard on Nov 3, 2024, represents an important step in Maersk's efforts to make shipping more environmentally friendly and accelerate the transition to low-emission fuels. In addition to adapting the engine by the German manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions, the conversion also included the installation of new fuel tanks, a fuel processing room and a new fuel supply system. Due to the additional equipment, the hull of the "Maersk Halifax" was extended by 15 meters, increasing its capacity from around 15,000 to 15,690 TEU. With these measures, the ship is now ready to operate with methanol. After succesfully completing the sea trials, the ship has now resumed operations in the transpacific trade. This conversion is an important part of Maersk's long-term strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

Accident investigation report published in deadly fire in 2018

A.P. Moller – Maersk, parent company to the world’s leading shipping line, has responded to the final investigation report into the fatal fire on board the 'Maersk Honam' on March 6, 2018, one of the worst accidents in the history of the company and the container shipping industry at large. The 'Maersk Honam' - now 'Maersk Halifax' - caught fire while underway in the Arabian Sea towards the Suez Canal. At the time of the incident, the ship was carrying 7,860 containers, corresponding to 12,416 twenty-foot equivalent units. Despite the firefighting efforts which included releasing the vessels’ CO2 system into the cargo hold, the first spread uncontrollably for week, encompassing the entire bow from the superstructure forward. Five crew members lost their lives in the incident. The vessel was eventually towed to Jebel Ali for salvage. It was later cut up and transported to South Korea where it was rebuilt and returned to service August 2019 under the name 'Maersk Halifax'. The investigation was led by the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore, where the vessel was registered. Maersk also conducted its own independent investigation. The TSIB report was issued on Oct 6, 2020. The investigation identified that the most likely source of the fire was in a block of 54 containers with IMO Class 9 Dangerous Cargo stowed inside cargo hold no. 3 in the forepart of the vessel. However, the actual cause of the fire was not conclusive, rather investigators said it was highly likely to originate from the decomposition of dangerous cargo generating intense heat, enabling the fire to rapidly develop out of control. As a result of the incident, Maersk introduced new guidelines for stowing dangerous goods on it fleet of vessels. The report included nine safety recommendations, including five to Maersk and four to the flag state.

Repairs of fire damage completed

The former "Maersk Honam" left Qingdao on Aug 7 at 2.30 p.m. on its maiden voyage as "Maersk Halifax" after extensive repairs. The burnt out foreship, which is actually being dismantled at Umm Al Quwain, has been cut off and replaced by a new one. With the "Maersk Halifax" being on its way to Busan in South Korea, the shipping company can finish off with the tragic chapter that started on March 6, 2018, when a fierce fire broke out on the 15,262 TEU-ship 900 miles southeast of Salalah in Oman en route from Singapore to the Suez Canal. 23 crew members were evacuated, four were killed in the blaze. One of the evacuated crew members subsequently died from his injuries. After a month-long extinguishing work, the ship was towed to Jebel Ali and emptied of both burnt and intact containers. Maersk decided to repair the ship, which at the time of the fire was one of the newest in the company's fleet, built in 2017. The price of repairing the ship ran up to more than DKK 30 million, while the total bill including the value of the destroyed containers was estimated at DKK 500 million - more than $ 3 billion Dollar. Work on the repair was left to the Hyundai Heavy Industries, which received the undamaged aft of the ship after a month-long carriage on a heavylift vessel from Cosco in March. Now the ship is again in operation as one of 11 H-class ships in Maersk's fleet. It sailed from Busan on Aug 10 at 4 a.m. and moored on Yangshan Anchorage on Aug 12 at 1.30 a.m. in pos. 30° 27.31' N 122° 43.49' E. Danish report with photo: https://maritimedanmark.dk/?Id=41553