DENMARK – A.P. Moller – Maersk, in a bid to attain its set target for Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions, is set to launch the first of its 18 large methanol-enabled vessels that will debut on 9 February 2024.
The maiden voyage will begin on the AE7 string connecting Asia and Europe, which includes port calls in Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, and Hamburg (see all port calls in the fact box below), with Ningbo, China, being its first destination.
The container vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea has a nominal capacity of 16,000 containers (TEU) and is equipped with a dual-fuel engine enabling operations on methanol as well as biodiesel and conventional bunker fuel.
Maersk has set a Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2040 across the entire business and has also set tangible and ambitious near-term targets for 2030 to ensure significant progress.
The shipping company has secured sufficient green methanol to cover the vessel’s maiden voyage and continues to work diligently on 2024-25 sourcing solutions for its methanol-enabled vessel fleet.
“Deploying the first of our large methanol-enabled vessels on one of the world’s largest trade lanes, Asia – Europe, is a landmark in our journey towards our Net-Zero target,” said Karsten Kildahl, Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk.
“With the vessel’s capacity of 16,000 containers, this will make a significant impact in our customers’ efforts to decarbonize their supply chains, and we are looking forward to introducing more methanol-enabled vessels on this and other trades during 2024.”
Ahead of its deployment, the vessel will be named at the shipyard in end January 2024. The following two sister vessels will be deployed in the first half of 2024 with naming events taking place in Yokohama, Japan, and Los Angeles, USA. Maersk expects to take delivery of four additional sister vessels in the second half of 2024.
At the time of deployment of the first large vessel, it will be the only second container vessel in the world that can sail on green methanol, the first being the feeder vessel Laura Maersk which entered service in September this year.
Maersk’s unyielding dedication towards decarbonization is further demonstrated by their recent joint call for regulatory action at COP28.
Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk joined other CEOs from prominent global shipping lines to present a collective vision at the conference, emphasizing concrete regulatory measures crucial for fostering the investment conditions necessary to expedite the industry’s green transition.
“A.P. Moller – Maersk wants to accelerate the green transition in shipping and logistics and a crucial next step is to introduce regulatory conditions which ensure that we create the most greenhouse gas emission reductions per invested dollar,” he said.
“This includes an efficient pricing mechanism to close the gap between fossil and green fuels and ensuring that the green choice is easier to make for our customers and consumers globally.”
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