New dual-fuel methanol vessel design by Maersk unveiled

Maersk has announced the design details of its next-generation dual-fuel methanol vessel that look remarkably like existing vessels.

Maersk, the Danish container shipping major, has announced the design details of its first dual-fuel methanol vessel. The next generation of alternatively fuelled ships look remarkably like existing vessels but differ at heart.

Concept

The company shared photos of the vessel’s design on its social media channels, showing off the feeder vessel from multiple angles.

This is a significant milestone for the company and the industry at large as the vessel is expected to be delivered by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard soon.

Methanol-Powered

The feeder vessel has a dual-fuel engine that can operate on green methanol, and the vessel is at the core of Maersk’s decarbonization strategy as the company sets sights on becoming net-zero by 2040.

Maersk said that it has successfully completed all key design-related milestones and production is progressing at full speed. The vessel is expected to be delivered during the summer.

The ship, with a capacity of around 2,000 TEU, was ordered back in 2021. While the vessel will be able to operate on standard VLSFO, the plan is to operate the vessel on carbon-neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol from day one.

The methanol-propulsion configuration for the vessel will be developed by MAN Energy Solutions and Hyundai Engine and Machinery (main engine) and Himsen (aux engine) in collaboration with Hyundai Mipo and Maersk. The vessel will be classed by the American Bureau of Shipping, Maersk said earlier.

New Generation

“It has been a huge project, but we have succeeded not least due to great collaboration internally in Maersk and with our external partners,”.

Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology, Maersk

To celebrate and flag that the vessel is the start of a new generation of green methanol vessels, Maersk has designed new branding with a star featured on the side of the vessel for the first time.

“In order to communicate that the vessel is the start of a new generation of green methanol vessels, we looked at how to best communicate this. We ended up with the tagline ‘ALL THE WAY TO ZERO’ to build on our existing brand platform and to highlight our decarbonisation efforts,”.

Brian Borup, Senior Brand, and Design Manager

Maersk disclosed earlier that the feeder will 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.

Further Developments & Green Fuel Supply

The feeder will be followed by 18 large ocean-going vessels of 16,000-17,200 TEU capacity which are scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025.

methanol powered containership
Next-Gen Methanol-Powered Containerships from Maersk

Danish container ship operator has revealed some of the details of its new methanol-powered vessels. The company ordered a total of eight 16,000 TEU ships from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in August 2021.

Ship Nerd

Maersk has partnered with REintegrate, a subsidiary of the Danish renewable energy company European Energy, to produce green fuel for its first methanol-powered containership.
The renewable energy company is currently building the facility which aims to produce approximately 10,000 tonnes of e-methanol that Maersk’s carbon-neutral vessel will consume annually.

In order to ensure the supply of green methanol for its newbuilds, Maersk has entered into strategic partnerships with nine companies in 2022 with the intent of sourcing at least 750,000 tonnes of green fuel per year by the end of 2025. In addition, the company has engaged in dialogues to explore opportunities for large-scale green fuel production in Spain and Egypt.

Source: Maersk

See Also

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New technology to produce green Methanol from waste
New technology to produce green Methanol from waste

WasteFuel announced a new technology that will significantly accelerate the use of organic waste to produce green methanol.

Ship Nerd