The rollout of Maersk’s dual-fuel methanol containerships continued with the naming ceremony in Singapore for the A.P. Møller. The vessel, which is the ninth in the line’s fleet able to operate on methanol was named in honor of Arnold Peter Møller, founder of the company.
A.P. Møller (174,000 dwt) is part of the series of 18 large dual-fuel methanol vessels being built for Maersk and scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025. Built at Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan, South Korea, she can carry 16,592 TEU. Maersk reports she is the seventh of these large dual-fuel methanol vessels to join the Maersk fleet in 2024, following sister ships including Ane Maersk which was the first of the class which was named in January. Others include Astrid Maersk, Antonia Maersk, Alette Maersk, and Alexandra Maersk.
The newest vessel of the class, A.P. Møller departed from Ningbo, China on November 16 to start her maiden voyage. She has made stops in Shanghai, Nansha, and Yantain, China before arriving on November 27 in Singapore. She is due to depart on November 29 with her next scheduled stops in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Ms. Chan Su-Shan, the wife of the CEO of Temasek Holdings was the godmother of the vessel during the ceremony on November 28.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our journey of decarbonizing the maritime industry,” said Murali Pillai, Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport in Singapore during the naming ceremony. “The arrival of A.P. Møller in Singapore not only showcases the advancements in shipping technology but also reinforces our commitment to support solutions that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Singapore officials highlighted that the port also conducted the inaugural ship-to-containership methanol bunkering for the Laura Maersk in July 2023. The feeder ship was the first introduced built to operate on methanol. Maersk also recently completed the first conversion of an in-service containership to dual-fuel methanol capabilities.
The delivery of the dual-fuel fleet Maersk highlights as a significant component of its decarbonization goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by 2040. During a press briefing in Singapore, Maersk told reporters that alternative fuel last year accounted for just three percent of the approximately 10 to 11 million metric tons of fuel it uses each year.
The line projected its alternative fuel use would probably rise to between 15 and 20 percent by 2030. They noted that however, the fuel strategy anticipates that it will be using a combination of biodiesel, green methanol, and bio-methanol. They have discussed the supply concerns for alternative fuels while again emphasizing the price gap and the need to support the transition to alternative fuels.
The new vessel, A.P. Møller reportedly loaded 500 metric tons of green methanol before it departed the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard earlier in the month. The new large dual-fuel vessels have the capacity to carry 16,000 cubic meters of methanol for a trip from Asia to Europe and back to Asia. The vessels are powered by MAN dual-fuel engines.
