Maersk to operate first carbon-neutral box ship by 2023

 Fast-tracked by advances in technology and increasing customer demand for sustainable supply chains, the world’s largest container shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk is accelerating efforts to decarbonise its marine operations “with the launch of the world’s first carbon neutral liner vessel in 2023 – seven years ahead of the initial 2030 ambition”.

The group also said all future Maersk owned newbuildings will have dual-fuel technology installed, enabling either carbon-neutral operations or operation on standard very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO)

Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller-Maersk, said the group’s ambition was “to lead the way in decarbonising global logistics”, adding: “Our customers expect us to help them decarbonise 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.” 

The group said around half of Maersk’s 200 largest customers “have set – or are in the process of setting – ambitious science-based or zero-carbon targets for their supply chains, and the figure is on the rise”.

Maersk’s first methanol feeder vessel will have a capacity of around 2,000 TEU and be deployed in one of its intra-regional networks. While the vessel will be able to operate on standard VLSFO, the plan is to operate the vessel on carbon neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol from day one.

Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet and Strategic Brands at A.P. Moller-Maersk, commented: “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.” 

Both the methanol-fuelled feeder vessel and the decision to install dual fuel engines on future newbuildings are part of Maersk’s ongoing fleet replacement plan. Maersk said the CAPEX implications “will be manageable and are included in current guidance”.

Strengthened collaboration 
The group said a carbon-neutral future for shipping “requires innovation, test and collaboration across multiple industry partners”, noting that Maersk was continuing “to explore several carbon neutral fuel pathways, and 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.”

It said a key collaboration partner is the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, an independent, non-profit research and development centre, that works across sectors, organisations, research areas and regulators to accelerate the development and implementation of new energy systems and technologies.

Other container lines are also exploring alternative fuels. For example, Lloyd’s List reported last week that Ocean Network Express had identified biofuels as a viable decarbonisation pathway after a successful trial on one of its vessels.

Its 4,803 teu MOL Experience completed a trial voyage from Rotterdam to US on February 7, running on biofuels that offer 80%-90% reduction in well-to-exhaust carbon dioxide emissions. The biofuel used by the vessel was made from waste oils such as used cooking oil. It was provided by Dutch supplier GoodFuels, which has conducted other high-profile trials with the likes of CMA CGM and Eastern Pacific and whose biofuels are based on renewable feedstocks, Lloyd’s List reported.

Barclays recently published a report dedicated to the potential use of biofuels in global decarbonisation in which it anticipated that biofuels will have an important role to play in maritime. “We see the use of biofuels as playing an extremely important role in the decarbonisation of the transport over the coming 10 years, particularly for those parts of the sector that are harder to electrify including trucks, planes and ships,” the bank said in its report.