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SingaporeJune 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan), a global leader in maritime asset ownership and management, and leading container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd today announced the successful completion of the first retrofit of five vessels under the methanol conversion project, delivering the Seaspan Yangtze.
Seaspan Yangtze
This successful conversion is not only a remarkable technical achievement but also a powerful statement of the shared commitment of Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd to a greener future. For over a decade, this has been our mission at Seaspan. From the early SAVER (Seaspan Action for Vessel Energy Reduction) program to today’s CleanBlue initiative, Seaspan has invested over $230 million across 86 vessels, executing more than 550 efficiency and retrofit projects.
Following the Seaspan Yangtze, the remaining vessels scheduled for retrofit under this program are the Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, and Seaspan Zambezi. Each retrofit is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 30,000 to 50,000 metric tons per vessel per year when using low-carbon methanol, while extending vessel service life and enhancing fuel flexibility.
“Decarbonization is not just about building the fleet of the future; it’s about unlocking the full potential of today’s fleet. The retrofit and upgrade of the existing fleet play a practical, immediate, and economical role in accelerating shipping decarbonization,” said Bing Chen, Chairman, President, and CEO of Seaspan. “Project SAVER CleanBlue highlights Seaspan’s strong customer partnerships, deep technical expertise, and unique platform integrated with joint venture partners such as WattSpan Maritime Technology in executing complex and large-scale retrofit projects.”
Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director of Fleet at Hapag-Lloyd, said: “The successful retrofit of the Seaspan Yangtze and the planned retrofits of its four sister vessels are another significant step on our ambitious path to achieving net-zero fleet operations by 2045. Together with Seaspan, we are proving that retrofitting existing vessels for low-carbon methanol can be a practical approach to reducing shipping emissions.”
By fully leveraging its integrated platform throughout the vessel lifecycle—from engineering and retrofitting to operations—Seaspan continues to deliver scalable turnkey solutions that support customers in transitioning to low- and/or zero-emission operations. Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd view Project SAVER CleanBlue as a crucial step toward more sustainable global container shipping.
Seaspan Corporation Pte. Ltd.
Seaspan is a global leading ship owner and operator, focused on providing long-term, fixed-rate vessel charter services to world-renowned shipping companies. As of March 31, 2026, Seaspan owned and operated a total of 247 vessels, with 2 very large ethane carriers and 4 open-hatch crane vessels under construction, bringing total capacity to 2.5 million TEU upon full delivery.
Seaspan’s SAVER program aims to improve vessel efficiency, and the CleanBlue program supports low- and zero-carbon fuel technologies; these are two key pillars of Seaspan’s decarbonization strategy.