Maersk has ordered six additional container ships that can sail on green methanol, which will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and have a nominal capacity of approximately 17,000 TEU.
These newbuildings are not expected to increase the Danish carrrier’s container capacity but to replace existing vessels in the Maersk fleet. The six 17,000 TEU boxships are all to be delivered in 2025 and will sail under the flag of Denmark.
With the latest order, the Copeghagen-based box line has in total ordered 19 vessels with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol. When all 19 vessels on order are deployed and have replaced older vessels, they will generate annual CO2 emissions savings of around 2.3 million tonnes.
Green methanol is the best scalable green fuel solution for this decade, according to chief fleet & technical officer at Maersk, Palle Laursen.
Maersk has set a net-zero emissions target for 2040 across the entire business and has also set near-term targets for 2030. This includes a 50% reduction in emissions per transported container in the Maersk Ocean fleet compared to 2020 and a principle of only ordering newbuilt vessels that can be operated on green fuels.
“Our customers are looking to us to decarbonise their supply chains, and these six vessels able to operate on green methanol will further accelerate the efforts to offer our customers climate neutral transport. Global action is needed in this decade in order to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to a 1.5°C temperature rise,” commented Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of fleet & strategic brands at Maersk.
Maersk added it further reiterates its strategy of maintaining a fleet capacity at a maximum of 4.3 million TEU, as a combination of Maersk managed and time-chartered vessels.
