Maersk has taken delivery of the vessel, HMD Hull #4168, the world’s first container feeder to be fuelled by methanol.
The 2,100 TEU vessel was built at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The vessel is embarking on her maiden voyage from Ulsan to Copenhagen for a naming ceremony in September. Maersk has signed a deal with Dutch producer OCI Global on the delivery of green bio-methanol for the 21,500-kilometer journey.
“The green methanol market is still in its infancy and frankly we had not expected to be able to secure a maiden voyage on green methanol for this vessel. So, we are very proud to have achieved this significant milestone. We expect a diverse green fuel mix for the future, with green bio-methanol from biomass waste being available now,” said Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition, A.P. Moller – Maersk.
Maersk says the introduction of the container vessel is a significant step towards realizing its commitment to becoming carbon neutral.
The dual-fuel engine vessel will pause in Copenhagen right outside the Maersk headquarters on its way to the Baltic Sea, where it will be operating going forward. The feeder vessel will bring real experience for Maersk seafarers in operating the new type of fuel as the company prepares to receive a fleet of new, large ocean-going dual-fuel engine powered ships from 2024.
A.P. Moller – Maersk aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 across the entire business. To get there in time, the company aims to transport a minimum 25% of Ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline. Receiving the landmark dual-fuel engine feeder vessel is a major step toward the long-term objective of gradually renewing the entire A.P. Moller – Maersk fleet to operate solely on green fuels and making a tangible impact in the industry’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.