By Hauwa Ali
Maersk has ordered for a total of 19 vessels with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol in it’s quest to meet a net-zero emissions target for 2040 across it’s entire shipping business.
With the latest order of six large container ships that can operate on green methanol is hoping to lead the world by example, setting a tangible near-term targets for 2030 to ensure significant progress.
The six vessels, to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, will have a nominal capacity of approx. 17,000 containers (Twenty Foot Equivalent – TEU).
The six 17,000 TEU vessels are all to be delivered in 2025 and will sail under the flag of Denmark. They will replace existing capacity in the Maersk fleet.
Maersk has emphasised its strategy of maintaining a fleet capacity at a maximum of 4.3 million TEU, made up of a combination of Maersk managed and time-chartered vessels.
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“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,” says Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet & Strategic Brands at Maersk.
“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,” she adds.
Maersk has set a net-zero emissions target for 2030-2040 across the entire business. 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.
According to maersk, green methanol is the best scalable green fuel solution for this decade.
“We are excited to see several other shipowners choosing this path,” says Palle Laursen, Chief Fleet & Technical Officer at Maersk. “It adds further momentum to the rapid scaling of availability needed to bring down the premium on green methanol and accelerate the evolution of climate neutral shipping.”
Benchmarked against conventional fuel capabilities, additional capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the methanol dual-fuel capability is in the range of 8-12%, which is an improvement compared to when Maersk ordered eight vessels with the same technology last year.
They all come as part of Maersk’s ongoing fleet renewal program and their capacity will replace an equal amount of capacity reaching end-of-life and leaving the Maersk managed fleet. 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.
