15 May (Lloyd's List) - MAERSK is set to sign firm newbuilding contracts for eight dual-fuel methanol containerships next month, following the signing of a letter of intent at a Chinese shipbuilder. According to shipbuilding sources in China, the mid-size newbuildings are due for delivery during 2026 and will be constructed by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The 8,000 teu vessels are estimated to cost between $140m and $150m per vessel.
They represent the first containerships to have been ordered directly by Maersk at the Singapore-listed shipbuilding group, although the company took delivery of the first in a series of 10 3,500 teu boxships, Maersk Acadia (IMO: 9928188), from Yangzijiang in the past year. They are being long-term chartered from Japanese tonnage provider Lepta Shipping.
Maersk’s latest newbuilding order brings its backlog of containerships capable of operating on methanol up to 27 vessels. Its first dual-fuel methanol boxship, the 2,100 teu Laura Maersk is due for delivery in June from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. It will be the first containership to enter service capable of methanol fuel operations.
The world’s second-largest operator of containerships also has 18 16,000 teu dual-fuel methanol containerships on order, which are being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The initial ship in this series is due to be delivered in January 2024.
Maersk is set to tie up its first supply of green methanol to fuel its newbuildings from early 2024 via energy supplier European Energy. A total of 79 dual-fuel methanol containerships are now either on order or at letter of intent stage.
In addition to Maersk’s vessels, CMA CGM has 12 13,000 teu containerships which were contracted in January from South Korea’s Hyundai Samho and seven 15,000 teu vessels ordered in February from Jiangnan Shipyard in China.
Also in February, South Korean container line operator HMM penned an order for nine 9,000 teu ships, while in November of the past year, Cosco ordered 12 24,000 teu dual-fuel methanol boxships from Cosco KHI. Five of these have been allocated for operation with its OOCL subsidiary.
Other shipowners with firm methanol-fuelled containerships on order comprise X-Press Feeders, which contracted four 1,170 teu vessels each at China’s New Dayang Shipbuilding and Ningbo Xinle Shipbuilding in 2021.
Non-operating owner MPC Containerships has four 1,300 teu boxships on order. Two of the ships are due to start a 15-year time charter to shortsea operator North Sea Container Line on their delivery next year.
In addition to Maersk’s letter of intent, newbuilding contracts for eight bulk carriers, two containerships, one crude oil tanker and two ro-ro cargo vessels have been confirmed in the past week.
Meanwhile, Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Maritime is understood to have boosted an existing order for eight vehicle carriers at Chinese shipbuilder Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore. The London-headquartered company has added a further two ships to its order for 7,000 car capacity, dual-fuel liquefied natural gas, pure car and truck carriers. The latest ships are set for delivery in late 2024 and early 2025 respectively. The initial ship in the series, ordered in 2021, is due to be delivered in September this year.
Zodiac is understood to still hold options for further vessels in the series, which are based on a shipbuilder standard design but with numerous upgrades specified by the owner. The upgraded specification includes larger fuel tanks, an increase in stern ramp safe working load from 150 tonnes to 250 tonnes, shore power capability and a number of additional energy saving devices. The majority of Zodiac’s PCTC newbuildings are understood to have been fixed directly to Chinese car manufacturers, rather than existing vehicle carrier operators, including SAIC Anji and BYD Company.
