Maersk Signs Shipbuilding Contract for Carbon Neutral Feeder Ship

Maersk has announced signing a shipbuilding contract for the world’s first containership powered by carbon neutral methanol.

The contract was signed with Hyundai Mipo Dockyards and calls for the a smaller feeder ship equipped with a dual engine that will enable it to sail on either methanol or traditional very low Sulphur fuel.

Maersk announced in February its intention to operate the world’s first carbon neutral liner vessel by 2023, seven years ahead of schedule based its initial 2030-ambition, part of Maersk’s long-term goal of achieving a carbon neutral fleet by 2050. The new vessel is planned to fly the Danish flag.

“This groundbreaking container vessel shows that scalable solutions to properly solve shipping’s emissions challenge are available already today,” said 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.”

Maersk said the new feeder is planned to be 172 meters long and will sail in the network of Sealand Europe, a Maersk subsidiary, on the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia. The methanol propulsion system will be developed by MAN Energy Solutions and Hyundai Engine and Machinery, providing the main engine, and Himsen providing the aux engine. All work will be done in collaboration with Hyundai Mipo and Maersk. The 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,” said Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

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