Dual Fuel Conversions

We deliver end-to-end, customized solutions for the conversion of conventional vessels to Dual Fuel (DF) operation, covering both LNG and alcohol fuels such as Methanol and Ethanol. Each project is tailored to the vessel’s operational profile, trading pattern, fuel availability, regulatory requirements, and commercial objectives.

Our scope begins at the concept and feasibility stage, where we develop optimized general arrangements and system layouts, assess space constraints, stability, and integration challenges, and evaluate the most suitable fuel pathway. This is followed by detailed analysis of main engines and auxiliary systems, including fuel supply systems, tanks, piping, ventilation, safety systems, automation, and interfaces with existing machinery.

We undertake OEM and technology provider evaluations, supporting informed maker selection based on technical compatibility, lifecycle cost, operational reliability, and future regulatory compliance. The work progresses into complete project scoping and technical specifications, ensuring clarity for yards, equipment suppliers, and stakeholders.

Our services extend through plan approval and statutory compliance, with active liaison with classification societies, flag administrations, and shipyards to manage approvals efficiently and de-risk execution. During conversion, we provide technical oversight and project support, ensuring that installation, integration, and commissioning are executed in line with design intent, class requirements, and safety standards.

The project culminates in harbour and sea trials, performance validation, and documentation handover, enabling a smooth transition to DF operations.

Backed by extensive hands-on experience in dual fuel conversion projects, our team combines deep engineering expertise with practical shipyard execution knowledge, allowing owners to confidently transition existing assets toward lower-carbon fuels while minimizing downtime, technical risk, and commercial disruption.

We deliver end-to-end, customized solutions for the conversion of conventional vessels to Dual Fuel (DF) operation, covering both LNG and alcohol fuels such as Methanol and Ethanol. Each project is tailored to the vessel’s operational profile, trading pattern, fuel availability, regulatory requirements, and commercial objectives.

Our scope begins at the concept and feasibility stage, where we develop optimized general arrangements and system layouts, assess space constraints, stability, and integration challenges, and evaluate the most suitable fuel pathway. This is followed by detailed analysis of main engines and auxiliary systems, including fuel supply systems, tanks, piping, ventilation, safety systems, automation, and interfaces with existing machinery.

We undertake OEM and technology provider evaluations, supporting informed maker selection based on technical compatibility, lifecycle cost, operational reliability, and future regulatory compliance. The work progresses into complete project scoping and technical specifications, ensuring clarity for yards, equipment suppliers, and stakeholders.

Our services extend through plan approval and statutory compliance, with active liaison with classification societies, flag administrations, and shipyards to manage approvals efficiently and de-risk execution. During conversion, we provide technical oversight and project support, ensuring that installation, integration, and commissioning are executed in line with design intent, class requirements, and safety standards.

The project culminates in harbour and sea trials, performance validation, and documentation handover, enabling a smooth transition to DF operations.

Backed by extensive hands-on experience in dual fuel conversion projects, our team combines deep engineering expertise with practical shipyard execution knowledge, allowing owners to confidently transition existing assets toward lower-carbon fuels while minimizing downtime, technical risk, and commercial disruption.

An increasing number of ports and coastal regions worldwide prohibit the operation of open-loop SOx scrubbers, and the list of such ports continues to expand. Consequently, scrubber-fitted vessels are required to change over from high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO – 3.5% S) to ultra-low sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO – 0.1% S) when entering these restricted areas, resulting in significantly higher fuel costs.

Under conventional fuel changeover arrangements, compliance is achieved through a dilution-based flushing method, which requires large volumes of expensive ULSFO to flush high-sulphur fuel from service tanks, piping, heaters, filters, and engine fuel supply systems. This leads to excessive fuel consumption, extended changeover times, and increased operational inefficiencies.

The OFCS addresses these limitations by introducing minor yet targeted modifications to the fuel system, piping configuration, and automation logic, enabling a controlled displacement (“push”) method of fuel changeover. Instead of diluting HSFO with ULSFO, the system actively pushes residual high-sulphur fuel back into the settling or service tanks, thereby minimizing cross-contamination and significantly reducing the volume of ULSFO required for flushing.

The OFCS achieves rapid and efficient fuel switching through:

• An automated 3-way changeover valve installed at strategic locations in the fuel supply line
   
• A dedicated logic controller with HMI, integrated with the vessel’s existing automation system
   
• Real-time inputs from flowmeters and temperature sensors to optimize the changeover sequence
   
• Selective return and isolation valves to ensure precise fuel displacement and system stability
   

This approach replaces inefficient dilution with an intelligent push-based changeover process, delivering faster compliance and improved fuel management.

• Substantial reduction in ULSFO consumption during fuel changeover
   
• Shorter and more predictable changeover times, reducing crew workload
   
• Lower risk of fuel contamination and system instability
   
• Minimal hardware intervention, suitable for retrofit during routine maintenance or drydock
   
• Improved compliance readiness for an increasing number of scrubber-restricted ports
   

For a typical mid-range container vessel, the OFCS can achieve a payback period of approximately 0.8 to 1.2 years, driven primarily by direct fuel cost savings. Vessels with frequent calls to scrubber-restricted ports can realize even faster returns.