Maersk celebrates revolution: New methanol ship Berlin Maersk” launched!

Maersk celebrates revolution: New methanol ship Berlin Maersk” launched!

The Danish shipping company Maersk has caused a stir in the shipping industry in recent days. On June 18, 2023, the first ship of a new class with dual-fuel methanol propulsion was ceremoniously christened at the renowned Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea: the “Berlin Mærsk”. This innovation ship has an impressive length of 350 meters and a width of 56 meters, offering space for up to 17,480 TEU. This makes it the largest dual-fuel ship in the entire Maersk fleet and the 14th new build of its kind. Nord24 reports that five more sister ships of this new class are to follow over the next few months in order to specifically align the fleet to the requirements of global container transport.

The “Berlin Mærsk” will make its first port call in Shanghai on July 7, 2023. This vessel will operate on Maersk's AE3 service, which is an important link between East Asia and Northern Europe. The most Nordic port of call in Europe for this service is Rotterdam, which shows Maersk's strong commitment to the region.

A step into the green future

Maersk is taking big steps towards sustainability and has a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040. Another significant advance in this context was the refitting of the “Maersk Halifax”. This ship is the first large container ship to be successfully equipped with a dual-fuel methanol engine, such as Maersk itself announces. The conversion at the Zhoushan Xinya Shipyard in China took over 88 days and was completed at the end of October 2024. The length of the ship was increased by 15 meters to a total of 368 meters, which now has space for up to 15,690 TEU. This shows that Maersk is not only building new ships, but also preparing existing fleet vehicles for the future.

Maersk Halifax has now successfully completed sea tests and is once again active in trans-Pacific trade. The conversion also includes replacing engine components and installing new fuel tanks, giving the ships flexibility and efficiency. These developments prove that Maersk has a knack for technologies that protect the environment.

Competition and market position

However, in the current competition for market share, Maersk is faced with the challenge that the order book is rather small compared to other providers. While Maersk has ordered 31 ships with a total capacity of 397,000 TEU, competitors such as MSC and CMA CGM are looking at much larger newbuilding programs. MSC has 123 orders to date with a capacity of 1.6 million TEU, while CMA CGM has 121 ships with 1.27 million TEU in store. Hansa Online shows that Maersk is the first liner shipping company in the world to choose methanol as its preferred “green” fuel, which could help the shipping company assert itself in an increasingly competitive market not only from an environmental perspective but also strategically.

Maersk's progress in recent years shows that the company is well positioned to meet the challenges of the future. With innovative solutions and a clear commitment to sustainability, the shipping company can hopefully further consolidate its place in global transportation.