Maersk orders world’s first box ship fueled by carbon neutral methanol
Written by Nick Blenkey
Maersk says that more than half of its largest customers have set – or are in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero carbon targets for their supply chains
A.P. Moller – Maersk has agreed a contract that will see Hyundai Mipo Dockyards build a 172 meter feeder vessel with a dual-fuel engine technology that will enable it to sail on either methanol or traditional very low sulfur fuel.
Maersk announced its intention to order the vessel, an industry first, back in February. It will fly the Danish flag.
“This groundbreaking container vessel shows that scalable solutions to properly solve shipping’s emissions challenge are already available today,” says Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet & Strategic Brands, A.P. Moller – Maersk. “From 2023 it will give us valuable experience in operating the container vessels of the future while offering a truly carbon neutral product for our many customers who look to us for help to decarbonize their supply chains.”
The feeder will sail on Maersk subsidiary Sealand Europe’s network on the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia.
The methanol propulsion configuration for the vessel will be developed by MAN Energy Solutions and Hyundai Engine and Machinery (main engine) and Himsen (aux engine) in collaboration with Hyundai Mipo and Maersk. Classification society will be American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
”Developing this vessel is a significant challenge, but we have already come a long way in our work with the yard and the makers to reach this milestone. While we are pioneering these solutions for our industry, we are working with well-proven technologies and the cost potential from further scaling is becoming very clear to us,” says Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology, A.P. Moller – Maersk.
Maersk says that more than half of its largest customers have set – or are in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero carbon targets for their supply chains, making the order another important step in the Maersk efforts to support the rising number of customers calling for carbon neutral products.
