
- Advisory services
The maritime industry faces a pivotal challenge – decarbonising the global fleet for a greener, more sustainable future. For the prepared, the investment in retrofitting now can be an opportunity to realise savings tomorrow. By exploring innovative solutions, such as those offered in our Retrofit Research Programme, ship owners can stay ahead of regulatory compliance and cost-effectively optimise their fleet's performance.
Shipping remains under continuous pressure to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, decarbonise fleets, and operate more efficiently. Meeting these challenges means considering a raft of potential fleet and fuel options. Without improvements, many vessels will not comply with new regulations like FuelEU, while decarbonisation pathways can be uncertain and require significant capital investment. The industry faces a complex choice between retrofitting, buying new vessels, and the challenge of securing green fuel supplies.
LR helps ship owners and managers find ship retrofits that make environmental and economic sense. Retrofitting ships helps you to operate compliantly and economically, whether that’s installing more efficient propellers, wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS), hull enhancements to improve efficiency, carbon capture technology to collect and sequester emissions, or new ship engines designed to use low carbon fuels.
Retrofit services
- Options analysis
- Feasibility and Risk Assessment
- Execution
- Operation
Choose the right strategic approach for your retrofit
Emissions and energy usage analysis
Understand your greenhouse gas emissions, and how to reduce them to comply with incoming regulations, and how ship retrofits can help. LR’s emissions portfolio helps you get to grips with your emissions liabilities and manage your emissions risks.
Future-proof your fleet
Comply with tightening regulations through proactive planning and watertight asset management. The right ship retrofit will future-proof your ship or fleet from incoming regulations. Plan your ship retrofits to meet incoming regulations, like those set by the EU, IMO, or SBTi targets, using LR’s Life Cycle Assessment capabilities.
Maximise returns, minimise costs
Understand when the time is right for your ship retrofit. The right ship retrofit can reduce your fuel usage and help you stay compliant with incoming regulations like FuelEU. LR’s clear analysis helps you to plan the best time to schedule your ship retrofit to avoid unnecessary costs and penalties, weighing factors like budget constraints, capital expenditure requirements, and dry dock availability.
Whether to scrap, sell or commission
Better understand the whole-life costs of your ship, and whether scrapping could be more cost-effective than retrofitting. LR’s techno-economic modelling approach could show that scrapping and rebuilding could be more cost-effective.
Risk management for a smooth retrofit
Feasibility
Each ship has unique issues to navigate, and this will affect the final retrofit chosen. LR’s third-party validation of each individual option will help you to confirm choices, improve asset management and secure better finance terms.
Risk assessment
Detailed planning and risk management ensures efficient execution of your retrofit to minimise time in dry dock and maximise operations. LR’s expert technology advice makes sure all due diligence is conducted using the best scanning and monitoring tools to keep your ship retrofit on track.
Enhancing onboard safety
Avoid unintended consequences throughout your retrofit – safety at sea is paramount. LR provides impartial, practical advice to ensure your crew understand the changes and retrofits that enhance performance and reduce errors at sea.
Meticulous retrofit planning for effective execution
Final detailed designs
For successful risk management, ship retrofits are based on careful and detailed planning. LR works closely with your team to make sure the smallest details are considered before your ship enters dry dock.
Shipyard pre-arrival
To ensure your ship's retrofit begins promptly, LR conducts all necessary due diligence, working closely with the shipyard to prepare the site prior to your ship's arrival. LR audits the site in detail and prepares the necessary preparatory works for your ship, training staff on the ground to ensure that your ship's retrofit begins without delay.
Project and risk management
Expert project management ensures your ship retrofit is completed on time, to plan, and to the highest standards. LR’s skilled project managers work closely with your team and the shipyard to minimise time in dry dock, maintain the highest standards and liaise with flag states when needed.
Commissioning and sea trials
Independent analysis and sea trials to confirm your ship retrofit achieves the intended benefits planned. LR’s post-installation and verification processes confirm that your ship retrofit delivers the planned return on investment and manages the necessary certificates before operations begin.
Secure the intended benefits of your retrofit
Monitoring performance
Optimise your ongoing operations using LR’s advanced digital solutions. Build on the improvements from your ship retrofit by further optimising your performance using digital solutions like LR Emissions Verifier and LR OneOcean Risk Manager.
A valuable investment
Understand the long-term benefits of your ship retrofit. LR continually monitors your ship to ensure that your ship's retrofit performs as expected in operation.
Ongoing service support
LR minimises off-hire time with rapid response times and flexible service. LR’s Global Technical Client Care team gives consistent technical expertise wherever needed. LR’s fleet support includes advanced remote surveys supported by Digital Survey Centres.
Why LR?
A changing world demands a new approach to energy. We've led two maritime transitions - from sail to steam and from steam to diesel – over the course of more than 260 years, with expertise and foresight to meet challenge after challenge. This is why LR is ideally placed to tackle energy transition, guiding the industry to resolve sustainable business ambitions.
Action towards a net zero world continues to build. We're helping clients to act now, giving them confidence that their decisions will help their business succeed throughout their decarbonisation journey. Adapt and thrive in the energy transition with LR.
Retrofit video case studies
- Flettner Rotor
- Suction sail

LR and Anemoi collaboration and experience in emissions reduction through Wind-Assisted Propulsion
This video documents the innovative collaboration between Lloyd’s Register and Anemoi in achieving success in operational excellence and emissions reduction for shipping clients through Wind-Assisted Propulsion Solutions with rotor sails.
- Rob Tustin - North Asia new construction manager, Lloyd's Register
- Stephanie Ryder - Engineering design manager, Anemoi Marine Technologies

Video showcasing suction sail wind-assisted propulsion solutions and projects for ships in collaboration with Bound4Blue.
Filmed at SMM Hamburg 2024
Featuring
- Santiago Suarez de la Fuente - Wind Propulsion Specialist, Lloyd's Register
- David Ferrer - CTO and Co-founder, Bound4Blue
- Jose Miguel Bermudez - CEO and Co-founder, Bound4Blue