by Lloyd's List

9 December 2024 (Lloyd's List) - BOXSHIPS will need to slow down to reduce emissions ahead of a green fuel shortage, according to Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen.

The limited availability of fuels in the next five to 10 years would force carriers to make changes, he told a webinar.

“I expect that when we look between now and 2030, we have to look at ways to make our network more efficient, and allow us to slow down somewhat,” he said, adding that by how much remained to be seen.

Habben Jansen said slowing down had a “massive impact” on ship emissions.

“If we would slow down the entire fleet by an average three knots or so, we would save more than 20% of our overall emissions,” he said.

The German container line is preparing to reshuffle its services next year for its Gemini Cooperation with Maersk. Habben Jansen said the new alliance’s hub-and-spoke service model would mean better ship utilisation.

“That allows us also to optimise speed and on average, hopefully, sail a little bit slower,” he said.

Using bigger ships than Hapag-Lloyd used today would bring down unit costs and emissions per teu.

Introducing biofuels to the fleet, followed by bio-methane for LNG-powered ships, and then later methanol, would help cut emissions, as would cutting waiting times.

Hapag-Lloyd’s recent order for 24 newbuildings would offer “low- to mid-double-digit percentage fuel efficiency”.

Habben Jansen said availability of green fuels was the biggest hurdle in the way of decarbonising shipping.

“That’s probably the thing that keeps us awake most,” he said.

“Because in five or 10 years from today, there will be significantly more ships that can sail on green fuels than there will be green fuels available.”

Hapag-Lloyd signed a 15-year deal in November to buy 250,000 tonnes of bio- and green methanol a year from Chinese clean energy company Goldwind.