(Copenhagen / Denmark) – The Danish logistics group AP Moller-Maersk A/S has ordered six more large methanol-powered container ships. The capacity is around 17.000 standard containers each and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is responsible for construction. For comparison: The currently largest container ship in the world, the “Ever Alot” – a sister ship of the “Ever Given” that got stuck in the Suez Canal last year – has a capacity of 24.000 containers (“Twenty-foot Equivalent Units”, TEU).
19 methanol ships commissioned
Delivery of the sea transporters is scheduled for 2025. Maersk has ordered a total of 19 ships with dual-fuel engines. Compared to conventional transport ships, the additional investment costs for methanol dual-fuel capability are eight to twelve percent, according to the company. This is already “an improvement on Maersk’s order of eight ships with the same technology” last year. The company did not disclose specific amounts.
When all 19 ships ordered have replaced older parts of the fleet, they will save 2,3 million tons of CO2 annually. Maersk has announced a net-zero emissions target for the entire company by 2040.
Increase methanol production
In March of this year, the group announced that it wanted to increase global production capacity green methanol increase significantly. At least 2025 tons per year are expected to be produced by the end of 730.000. Part of it will be needed to power the new fleet.
Six companies will supply methanol to Maersk in the future. © Maersk
Six cooperation partners install and finance the production facilities for the green methanol at locations in China and in North and South America: the Chinese CIMC Enric Holdings Ltd., the Danish solar park project developer and operator European Energy A/S, the Chinese one specializing in sustainable investments Financial services provider Green Technology Bank Co.Ltd. (GTB), the Danish energy group Ørsted A/S, the Swiss chemical group and the world's second largest methanol producer Proman AG and the US company Wastefuel Global, a company specializing in the production of methanol from urban and agricultural waste.
AP Moller-Maersk is by far the largest container ship shipping company in the world, operates in 130 countries, has around 730 (owned and chartered) ships at sea, transports around twelve million containers annually and, according to its own information, employs around 100.000 people.
Class schedule
Rendering of the new methanol-powered container ships. © AP Moller-Maersk
