Alternative Fuels
Maersk unveils design of its new methanol dual fuel container ship
Hyundai Mipo Dockyards is building the 2,100 TEU feeder vessel; ship has a dual-fuel engine and will be able to operate on green methanol or traditional VLSFO.
Danish integrated container logistics company A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) on Tuesday (21 March) unveiled the design of its soon-to-be-completed container vessel, fuelled by methanol.
The feeder vessel has a dual-fuel engine and will be able to operate on green methanol or traditional Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).
“I am very happy with the progress we are making on the project. We have now completed all key design-related milestones and production is progressing at full speed with delivery expected during summer. It has been a huge project, but we have succeeded not least due to great collaboration internally in Maersk and with our external partners,” Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology, said in a social media post.
“In order to communicate that the vessel is the start of a new generation of green methanol vessels, we looked at how to best communicate this. We ended up with the tagline ‘ALL THE WAY TO ZERO’ to build on our existing brand platform and to highlight our decarbonisation efforts,” Brian Borup Senior Brand and Design Manager said.
Maersk previously announced Hyundai Mipo Dockyards is building the 2,100 TEU feeder vessel. It will fly the Danish flag and is expected to be delivered by mid-2023.
Maersk announced the intention to order the vessel, an industry first, on 17 February 2021. The feeder will be 172 meters long and will sail in the network of Sealand Europe, a Maersk subsidiary, on the Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia. The methanol propulsion configuration for the vessel will be developed by MAN Energy Solutions and Hyundai Engine and Machinery (main engine) and Himsen (aux engine) in collaboration with Hyundai Mipo and Maersk. Classification society will be American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
Methanol Institute (MI), said: “The next generation of alternatively fuelled ships look remarkably like existing vessels if images released today by Danish carrier Maersk are anything to go by.”
“MI member Maersk today unveiled images of its soon-to-launch 2,000 TEU, dual fuel ship, which can run on either VLSFO or methanol, a landmark ship that has since opened the floodgates to many more methanol vessels being contracted at yards across Asia,” it shared in a social media post.
Photo credit: A.P. Moller – Maersk
Published: 22 March, 2023
Alternative Fuels
Singapore-based ONE celebrates maiden voyage of methanol-and-ammonia ready boxship
Following the successful deployment of “ONE Singapore” and its sister vessels, “ONE Solidarity” will be deployed on the Mediterranean Pacific South 2 (MS2) service.
Alternative Fuels
“Lucia Cosulich” enters final preparation ahead of bunkering operations
Following delivery of the ship in China, it will now enter the final preparation phase ahead of its next operational steps, strengthening Fratelli Cosulich’s ability to provide reliable bunkering solutions.
Alternative Fuels
DNV: Alternative-fuelled vessel orders down 11.6% in H1 2026
In total, 137 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered in the first half of 2026 compared to 155 in the same period in 2025.
Latest data from classification society DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform showed a total of 15 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in June 2026.
This consisted of 10 orders for LNG-fuelled vessels, nine of which were car carriers and one a CO2 carrier. The remaining five orders were for LPG/ethane carriers.
Two LNG-bunker vessels were also ordered in June, bringing the total in this segment to seven so far in 2026.
In total, 137 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered in the first half of 2026, down 11.6% from 155 in the same period in 2025.
Over half of these (73) were for LNG-fuelled vessels, with most coming from the container (42) and car carrier (21) segments. LPG/ethane carriers were also prominent, with 55 new orders, a significant uptick compared to the first half of 2025 (15). The remaining orders were for vessels fuelled by methanol (2), ethanol (2), ammonia (4), and hydrogen (1).
Deliveries in the first half of the year point to continued uptake of alternative-fuelled tonnage across several segments, with 61 LNG-fuelled vessels and 38 methanol-fuelled vessels delivered so far in 2026.
More recently, Exmar took delivery of what it described as the first oceangoing dual-fuel ammonia vessel, marking a step beyond earlier ammonia-fuelled deliveries, which have largely been associated with pilot or demonstration projects rather than commercial deployment.
Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV Maritime, said: “What we can take away from the first half of 2026, in terms of the alternative-fuels orderbook, is that we have a market progressing at different speeds depending on segment economics, fuel availability, and the regulatory landscape. Shipowners and other stakeholders are pursuing different pathways based on their individual priorities and requirements.
“LNG remains the leading near-term fuel option, with order activity continuing to be led by containers and car carriers. LPG and ethane carriers have also accounted for a significant share of activity in the first half of the year, while developments in areas such as ammonia and ethanol show that multiple pathways continue to be explored.”
Photo credit: DNV
Published: 3 July, 2026
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