Maersk orders $1.4 billion carbon-neutral container ships

Maritime container giant A.P. Moller – Maersk is accelerating its plans to “decarbonise” its operations with the order of eight carbon-neutral container vessels, which will offer customers a carbon neutral transportation at scale on the high seas.

Maersk said that the first of the green fleet will be introduced in the first quarter of 2024.

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The ships will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and each allow transport of 16,000 containers.

In addition, the agreement with HHI includes an option for 4 additional vessels in 2025.

Maersk also said that the series will replace older vessels and is set to offset their annual CO2 emissions of around one million tonnes.

“The time to act is now, if we are to solve shipping’s climate challenge,” said Soren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk

“This order proves that carbon neutral solutions are available today across container vessel segments and that Maersk stands committed to the growing number of our customers who look to decarbonise their supply chains,” Skou said.

“Further, this is a firm signal to fuel producers that sizable market demand for the green fuels of the future is emerging at speed,” he said.

Maersk will operate the vessels on carbon neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol.

The ships also come dual fuel engine setup, which enables operation on methanol as well as conventional low Sulphur fuel.

“We are very excited about this addition to our fleet, which will offer our customers unique access to carbon neutral transport on the high seas while balancing their needs for competitive slot costs and flexible operations,” said Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO, Fleet & Strategic Brands of A.P. Moller – Maersk.

While Maersk said that it will be a challenge to source an adequate amount of carbon neutral methanol from day one in service, it will continue to engage in partnerships and collaborations with relevant players.

“To us, this is the ideal large vessel type to enable sustainable, global trade on the high seas in the coming decades and from our dialogue with potential suppliers, we are confident we will manage to source the carbon neutral methanol needed,” Thygesen said.

The new ships come as part of Maersk’s ongoing fleet renewal program. They will replace tonnage of more than 150,000 (Twenty Foot Equivalent – TEU), which is reaching end-of-life and leaving the Maersk managed fleet between 2020 and Q1 2024.

Source: A.P. Moller – Maersk