Maersk takes delivery of world first green methanol-fuelled containership

The 2,100-teu HMD Hull 4168, was built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. and Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. The vessel is set to embark on its maiden voyage towards Copenhagen where, in a ceremony, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission will christen Maersk’s new feeder vessel.

“The introduction of this container vessel is a significant step towards realising our commitment to becoming carbon neutral, and it marks the beginning of a new era in shipping, where we together can minimise greenhouse gas emissions and create a greener future,” Maersk said.

Maersk said the 21,500 km trip from Ulsan, South Korea to Copenhagen, Denmark, will provide real operational experience for Maersk seafarers handling the new engines and using methanol as fuel. The feeder will be followed by 18 large oceangoing vessels of 16,000-17,200 teu capacity which are scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025.

Maersk has secured green methanol for the ship’s first trip in cooperation with the Dutch producer and distributor of hydrogen-based products OCI Global. The company OCI will provide ISCC-certified green bio-methanol to power the maiden voyage of the newbuild.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, Maersk has also recently ordered six mid-sized container vessels at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. The six 9,000 teu vessels will all have dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol and fuel oil. The ships are projected for delivery in 2026 and 2027.

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