Maersk enriches fleet with third large methanol-enabled container vessel

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller Maersk has welcomed the third large dual-fuel methanol-enabled container vessel to its fleet.

The vessel was officially christened by Danish wind power major Vestas and named Antonia Maersk at a ceremony in Aarhus, Denmark, on August 9.

Antonia Maersk is the third in a series of 18 large dual-fuel newbuilds capable of sailing on green methanol, scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2025.

The 350-meter-long container vessel with 16,000 TEU capacity was built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) in Ulsan, South Korea. Like its sister vessels, the newbuild is equipped with a dual-fuel engine developed by German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) to enable operations on methanol.

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.

Maersk’s first large methanol-enabled vessel, Ane Maersk, was christened at a ceremony held at HD HHI in Ulsan, South Korea, in January this year. The second large containership was named Astrid Maersk this April.

The company’s next methanol-enabled containership will be christened by American sportswear corporation Nike at the Port of Los Angeles Outer Harbor on August 27, 2024.

By the end of this decade, Maersk anticipates that 25 of its vessels will be sailing on green methanol, saving a remarkable 2.75 million tons of CO2 emissions annually.