Danish wind power major to christen Maersk’s new methanol-enabled ship

Danish wind power major Vestas will christen Maersk’s new methanol-enabled vessel, the shipping company revealed.

As disclosed, the naming ceremony for the new containership will be held in Denmark this August.

“Accelerating decarbonisation demands bold action and strong partnerships. Our long-standing collaboration with Vestas as their end-to-end logistics partner is built on trust and a shared commitment to drive sustainability in our sectors,” Maersk highlighted.

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 its targets are met, the shipowner ordered 24 containerships which will be equipped with dual-fuel engines and will be able to operate on green methanol.

Ane Maersk, Maersk’s first large methanol-enabled vessel, was named at a ceremony held at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea in January this year. The vessel is 350 meters long, with a breadth of 53.5 meters. It can sail up to 23,000 nautical miles on methanol corresponding to 41,400 km when fully bunkered. 

Maersk said that the vessels in this new series have an industry-first innovative design with the bridge and accommodation placed at the very front of the vessel, to ensure fuel-efficient operations.

Furthermore, the ships are equipped with a dual-fuel engine developed by German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) to enable operations on methanol.

Meanwhile, the second large methanol-enabled boxship Astrid Maersk was christened in Yokohama, Japan, in April this year.

The vessel arrived at Yangshan Port in Shanghai for the first green methanol bunkering with simultaneous cargo and bunkering operations in China. This ‘historic first in China’ was made possible in partnership with the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), Maersk noted.