Maersk Line is continuing with its strategy of transitioning its fleet to methanol with the announcement that one of its H-Class vessels, Maersk Halifax, formerly Maersk Honam, will be converted to green fuel next year.
Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard at Ningbo-Zhoushan has been contracted to carry out the three-month conversion work on the 15,282 TEU Maersk Halifax in the middle of next year, with the Danish carrier told Container News it has “an option with MAN to convert the other 10 as well”.
According to Alphaliner, the 11 compact H class are 353.00m in length and 53.50m (21 rows) wide. Hyundai delivered the ships from 2017 to 2019 and all of the sisters are currently employed on the Maersk-operated 2M service AE12.
In addition to the methanol conversion, Maersk is also giving its H-Class vessels a capacity upgrade with most of the vessels’ lashing bridges having ‘Mickey Mouse Ears’ attached, adding another tier.
“Assuming that this would allow the ships to carry one additional container tier on the aft bays, the conversion should increase the vessels’ total carrying capacity by around 600 TEU from 15,282 TEU to about 15,800 TEU,” estimated Alphaliner.
However, that will only compensate for the cargo sacrifice made by adding extra fuel tanks for the methanol conversion, meaning that the actual capacity will remain roughly the same.
Maersk Halifax was delivered in 2017 and was then Maersk Honam, which was severely damaged following a cargo fire in March 2018. An extended bow section of the vessel was rebuilt following the fire and the ship was renamed Maersk Halifax.
As a result of the fire, the vessel will be due its five-year survey next year after its relaunch in 2019.
Unconfirmed reports have also linked Maersk to eight 5,900 TEU ships, also methanol powered, that will be built at Tsumeishi’s yards, four in China and another four in Japan, all to be delivered by 2026.
Alphaliner does, however, outline a series of newbuildings that have not previously been linked with the Danish carrier, calling it “Maresk’s ‘secret’ orderbook”.
According to the analysts, the line has “procured a series of compact neo-panamax vessels with conventional propulsion, scheduled for delivery from 2024. The first of these ships, estimated at just under 14,000 teu, is currently under construction at JMU [Japan Marine United] Kure” yard that could be delivered as early as the first quarter.
Maersk has not ordered any ships over 17,000 TEU and Alphaliner suggests that the carrier has identified the more flexible 15-17,000 TEU vessel size as its “preferred mainline vessel” for the post-2M consortia period.
In a further move to meet increasingly strict emissions regulations, Maersk has collaborated with Wärtsilä to derate the main engines on two of its older ships, that were about to have their 15-year survey.
The derating took place at the same yard where Maersk Halifax is to be converted, with the engines of Gerner and Gunde Maersk having been reduced to 44,600 kW, from 68,640 kW, slowing the vessel’s speed and reducing their fuel consumption, as well as the subsequent emissions.
Mary Ann Evans
Correspondent at Large
