Maersk exercised options with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to build four more dual-fueled vessels able to operate on methanol.
The vessels will be delivered in 2025, after the delivery of eight similar vessels that were ordered in August 2021, and are expected to be delivered during the first quarter of 2024.
The deal is worth around $700m, according to Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the shipbuilding holding company of HHI.
Last month, Maersk introduced the design of eight 16,000 TEU container vessels powered by carbon-neutral methanol.
The entire series is expected to save around one million tons of annual CO2 emissions, offering carbon-neutral transportation at scale on ocean trades.
First look at the design of our next generation of large container vessels powered by carbon-neutral methanol.
Watch to discover more about the new features accelerating fleet #decarbonization. Due for operation in 2024.#Maersk #Shipbuilding #shipppingnews #sustainability pic.twitter.com/TPOBoTOnP9
— Maersk (@Maersk) December 8, 2021
Maersk now expects to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral ahead of 2050, as the green transition in shipping is turning out to be easier than expected.
According to Maerk’s CEO, Soren Skou:
We initially thought the challenge would be to develop a new way to run ships. But now we think we can keep the concept of the combustion engine we already know and then use methanol, or perhaps ammonia, with relatively few modifications
