Maersk To Operate First Carbon-Neutral Containership By 2023

Today, A.P. Moller-Maersk, the largest container ship operator in the world, announced that it would launch the world’s first carbon-neutral cargo liner vessel in 2023 – seven years ahead of its initial 2030 target. They also noted that all future Maersk-owned new buildings will have dual-fuel technology installed, enabling either carbon-neutral operations or operation on standard very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). 

In 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) established targets for the shipping industry “to reduce CO2 emissions…, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008.”

At the time, Maersk chose more ambitious goals for its own operations, announcing its intention to reduce its CO2 emissions by 60% by 2020 and to be wholly carbon neutral by 2050. 

“A.P. Moller – Maersk’s ambition is to lead the way in decarbonizing global logistics. Our customers expect us to help them decarbonize their global supply chains, and we are embracing the challenge, working on solving the practical, technical, and safety challenges inherent in the carbon-neutral fuels we need in the future. 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,” says Søren Skou, CEO, A.P. Moller – Maersk.

Maersk’s first carbon-neutral ship will be a 2,000 TEU feeder vessel fueled by methanol, operating on one of its intra-regional networks. 

“It will be a significant challenge to source an adequate supply of carbon-neutral methanol within our timeline to pioneer this technology. Our success relies on customers embracing this groundbreaking product and strengthened collaboration with fuel manufacturers, technology partners, and developers to ramp up production fast enough. We believe our aspiration to put the world’s first carbon-neutral liner vessel in operation by 2023 is the best way to kick start the rapid scaling of carbon-neutral fuels we will need,” says Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet & Strategic Brands, A.P. Moller – Maersk.  

Maersk also expects multiple fuel solutions to exist alongside each other in the future. Methanol (e-methanol and bio-methanol), alcohol-lignin blends, and ammonia remain the primary fuel candidates for the future.

A.P. Moller – Maersk will operate the world’s first carbon neutral liner vessel by 2023

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