The new vessel will be introduced 7 years ahead of the initial 2030 plan.
The vessel will be a methanol feeder with a capacity of around 2,000 TEU and it would be deployed in one of Maersk’s intra-regional networks.
While the vessel will be able to operate on standard very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), the plan is to operate the vessel on carbon neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol from day one.
Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk, said:
- Maersk’s ambition is to lead the way in decarbonising global logistics
- Our customers expect us to help them decarbonise their global supply chains
- Our ambition to have a carbon neutral fleet by 2050 was a moonshot when we announced in 2018
- Today we see it as a challenging, yet achievable target to reach
It said around half its 200 largest customers had set – or were in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero-carbon targets for their supply chains, and that number is on the rise.
Maersk is also continuing to investigate other forms of carbon-neutral fuel and 《expects multiple fuel solutions》 to exist in the future.
Methanol (e-methanol and bio-methanol), alcohol-lignin blends and ammonia remain the primary fuel candidates, it added.