26 Januanry 2024 (Lloyd's List) - THE first deepsea methanol-fuelled containership has been named at South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the world's second-largest boxship operator Maersk.
Named Ane Maersk (IMO: 9948748), the 16,592 teu vessel was named after Ane Maersk Mc-Kinney Uggla, chair of the AP Moller Foundation and AP Moller Holding, in a ceremony at the shipyard in Ulsan.
Ane Maersk is the lead ship in a series of 12 neo post-panamax containerships, which were ordered in 2021 and 2022, will enter Maersk's "AE7" Asia/Europe service in early February. It will commence its maiden voyage on green methanol which will be bunkered near the shipyard, according to Maersk.
The remaining 11 vessels will enter service by the end of 2025. A further six similar ships, being built with slightly wider hulls and capable of loading some 5% more containers, are set to be delivered in 2025.
"This series of vessels will have a transformative impact on our ambition to progress on our industry-leading climate ambitions. It is a visual and operational proof of our commitment to a more sustainable industry. With Ane Maersk and her sister vessels we are expanding our offer to the growing number of businesses aiming to reduce emissions from their supply chains," said AP Moller-Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc.
Maersk was the first shipowner to order dual-fuel methanol boxships. It commissioned the world's first containership capable of operating on methanol fuel in 2023. The 2,100 teu Laura Maersk (IMO: 9944546) entered service in September as a North Sea-Baltic feeder vessel.
In June 2023, Maersk ordered six dual-fuel methanol 9,000 teu containerships at China's Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, with delivery in 2026 and 2027 to bring its combined orders for alternative-fuel containerships to 25 vessels.
A total of 143 such vessels have now been contracted worldwide, including the 25 ships ordered by industry pioneer Maersk, according to data tracked by Lloyd's List.
Most recently, Ocean Network Express confirmed shipbuilding contracts for a dozen neo-panamax dual-fuel methanol boxships with six vessels each to be built by China's Jiangnan Shipyard and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. They will be delivered in 2027.
Interest is also gathering pace for the retrofit of existing containerships to operate on methanol fuel. In December, China's Cosco signed contracts with MAN Energy Solutions and Wartsila to convert two 13,800 teu and two 20,000 teu conventional-fuel boxships, with options arranged for a further nine vessels.
In October 2023, Maersk confirmed that its 2017-built, 15,226 teu, Maersk Halifax (IMO: 9784271) had been booked to be retrofitted for dual-fuel methanol operations at a Chinese shipyard. Completion of the project is expected in September 2024 while Maersk Halifax's 10 sister vessels are also set to be similarly converted.
German liner operator Hapag-Lloyd and tonnage provider Seaspan disclosed in 2023 that they are jointly studying the potential to retrofit at least 15 existing containerships.
Retrofitting requires modifications to main engine fuel injection systems, new fuel tanks and the fitting of a methanol fuel preparation room.
Green methanol availability is currently negligible today, which means that Maersk vessels will mostly bunker with bio-methanol or conventional fuels initially. However, Danish renewable energy producer European Energy will start producing green methanol at its Danish facility in 2024 to supply Maersk vessels.
Production of green and bio-methanol is expected to accelerate globally to meet increasing demand from the containership sector, however, only a handful of green methanol projects have reached final investment decision.
C2X, the company established by Maersk's parent company to produce green methanol, aims to reach a capacity of 3m tonnes per year by 2030 with projects in Spain and Egypt.
