A.P. Møller – Maersk entered an agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in August to build eight large dual-fuel container vessels, powered by carbon-neutral methanol or very low sulfur fuel oil.
Now Maersk has released a computer-generated image and video of what the vessels will look like.
Read: Maersk enters agreement for 8 methanol-powered vessels
The container ships will feature forward accommodation that is separate from the funnel, which Maersk says should improve port efficiency. The reduced footprint of the funnel and its side location are designed to increase capacity.
The HHI-constructed vessels will have nominal capacity to haul approximately 16,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. The container ships will replace older vessels as part of the company’s fleet renewal program, Maersk said.
Once all eight vessels are deployed, they are expected to save 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually and improve energy efficiency by 20% per container transported, compared to the industry average.
The dual-fuel capability will make up 10%-15% of the total cost of each vessel, according to Maersk, but it will also give the shipping giant more flexibility if the supply of carbon-neutral methanol is limited.
Read: E-methanol: Missing piece to shipping’s decarbonization puzzle?
Maersk said the first vessel should be operational by the first quarter of 2024. The agreement with HHI includes an option to provide Maersk with four additional methanol-powered vessels in 2025.
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