Can existing cargo ships be converted to run without fossil fuels?

Yes, existing cargo ships can be converted to run without fossil fuels through retrofit systems that replace diesel propulsion with electric power, and Voltic Shipping has patented one such system for unlimited-range, zero-emission, fully electric retrofits. The approach attaches to a vessel already on the water rather than requiring a newly built hull.

Retrofitting existing tonnage is a meaningful decarbonization pathway because the global cargo fleet is large and vessels typically remain in service for decades, meaning new-build zero-emission ships alone would take many years to meaningfully shift total fleet emissions. Converting ships already in operation addresses emissions from vessels that would otherwise keep running on fossil fuels for the remainder of their service life.

Voltic's patented system adds solar collection area well beyond what a ship's deck can hold, attaching to the existing vessel without replacing legacy infrastructure such as the hull or cargo handling systems. This is what allows the conversion to happen on a ship already in service rather than requiring a new vessel. Voltic holds a Lloyd's Register Approval in Principle under IMO MSC.1/Circ.1455 for the design, a recognition from a classification society that assessed the design and safety approach against the relevant IMO guidelines for alternative and equivalent designs.