Maersk Names First of Six New 17,480 TEU Methanol-Powered Containerships

A.P. Moller – Maersk has named its newest and largest dual-fuel containership, the Berlin Mærsk, during a ceremony at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea on Wednesday.

The 17,480 TEU vessel represents Maersk’s 14th dual-fuel newbuild and marks the first in a series of six sister vessels ordered from HHI for delivery in 2025. All vessels will operate under the Danish flag.

The Berlin Mærsk is set to commence service on July 7 on Maersk’s AE3 route connecting Eastern Asia with Northern Europe, with its inaugural port call in Shanghai.

“With the launch of the Berlin Mærsk class, we continue to build an ocean toolkit adaptable to multiple fuel pathways. Fleet renewal is essential for maintaining our competitive edge in ocean shipping, and it serves as a cornerstone of our commitment to decarbonisation,” said Anda Cristescu, Head of Chartering & Newbuilding at Maersk.

The vessel features a wider beam compared to the previous Ane Mærsk class, enabling increased container capacity and making it the largest dual-fuel vessel in Maersk’s fleet to date.

Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology at Maersk, noted that since their initial order of a dual-fuel methanol vessel in 2021, the technology has gained widespread adoption across the industry.

Maersk has set its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040—a full decade ahead of the industry standard—and aims to transport a minimum of 25% of ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030.

To date, Maersk has ordered 25 methanol dual-fuel newbuild containerships. These include twelve 16,000 TEU and six 17,000 TEU ships from Hyundai Heavy Industries with deliveries in 2024 and 2025. Additionally, six 9,000 TEU ships are on order at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China for delivery in 2026 and 2027. The company’s first methanol-powered containership, the 2,100-TEU feeder ship Laura Maersk, was delivered by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea in 2023.

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