Hapag-Lloyd hails delivery of another LNG dual-fuel 23,600 TEU giant

German liner major Hapag-Lloyd has taken delivery of the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel 23,660 TEU containership from South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.

Hamburg Express is the seventh newbuild of the company’s latest Hamburg Express class, a series of twelve ships that are “the largest containerships” ever to sail under the German flag.

In total, the shipping company ordered a dozen 23,500+ TEU ships at Hanwha Ocean, formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

Hamburg Express will be officially christened in Hamburg by First Lady Eva-Maria Tschentscher on November 4, 2026.

The new series of containerships will be outfitted with high-pressure dual-fuel engines that will operate on LNG, but they will also have sufficient tank capacity to operate on conventional fuel as an alternative, according to Hapag-Lloyd.

Thanks to their new dual-fuel technology, they will also be able to operate using non-fossil fuels, such as bio-methane and e-methane, and thereby generate hardly any CO₂ emissions.

Shell Western LNG B.V (Shell) signed a multi-year agreement with German shipowner for the supply of liquefied natural gas.

Hapag-Lloyd expects that LNG will reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 25 percent and soot emissions by 95 percent. In addition, advanced components, such as an optimized hull and a highly efficient propeller, will help the vessels to reduce fuel consumption and thereby greenhouse gas emissions.

The containerships in the Hamburg Express class operate on the cargo-intensive Far East route between Asia and Europe.

The addition of new environmentally friendly vessels has helped German container shipping major Hapag-Lloyd counteract the prolonged capacity bottleneck caused by geopolitical tensions.

Earlier on, the firm welcomed several LNG dual-fuel 23,600 boxships, including Berlin Express, Manila Express, Singapore Express, Iquique Express, and Damietta Express.

They also represent a significant contribution to Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to operate its entire fleet in a climate-neural manner by 2045.