Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding Co., a subsidiary of Chinese Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, has delivered a new eco-friendly 3,500 TEU boxship Maersk Acadia.
As informed, the delivery ceremony took place on 30 November at the company’s yard.
The ship is the first in the series of 10 newbuilds being built for Japanese shipowner Lepta Shipping, a joint venture between Japanese Nissen Kaiun and trading house Mitsui & Co. The company signed charter deal with Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller Maersk for the new environmentally friendly feeder.
As disclosed, Maersk Acadia has a total length of 200 meters, a molded width of 36.4 meters and a molded depth of 20.6 meters. It is classed by classification society ABS.
According to the shipbuilder, this type of vessel can meet the latest International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) requirements for zero-emission shipping. The design incorporates technologies that are expected to meet IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) III.
The EEDI for new ships was made with the aim of promoting the use of more energy efficient (less polluting) equipment and engines. The EEDI requires a minimum energy efficiency level per capacity mile (e.g. tonne mile) for different ship type and size segments.
Since 1 January 2013, following an initial two-year phase zero, new ship design needs to meet the reference level for their ship type. The level is to be tightened incrementally every five years, and so the EEDI is expected to stimulate continued innovation and technical development.
In 2014, MEPC adopted amendments to the EEDI regulations to extend the scope of EEDI to LNG carriers, ro-ro cargo ships (vehicle carriers), ro-ro cargo ships; ro-ro passenger ships and cruise passenger ships having non-conventional propulsion.
These amendments mean that ship types responsible for approximately 85% of the CO2 emissions from international shipping are incorporated under the international regulatory regime.
Maersk has set a net-zero emissions target for 2040 across the entire business. The company is also working to achieve tangible near-term targets for 2030, which include a 50% reduction in emissions per transported container in the Maersk Ocean fleet compared to 2020 and only ordering newbuilt vessels that can be operated on green fuels.
About a month ago, Danish shipping major ordered an additional six large ocean-going vessels that can sail on green methanol. With the latest order, Maersk has in total ordered 19 vessels with dual-fuel engines able to operate on green methanol. The container shipping heavyweight said that when all 19 vessels on order are deployed and have replaced older vessels, they will generate annual CO2 emissions savings of around 2.3 million tonnes.