Maersk orders another 20 methanol-powered boxships

Brokerage sources this week suggested that Maersk was negotiating two further series of methanol-powered container ships with a shortlist of first-tier yards in Asia. The Danish carrier is believed to be in advanced talks for up to ten mainline ships of 17,000 teu and a similar number of regional vessels of about 2,500 teu. Both order deals would likely consist of five firm orders and five optional hulls.
 
Maersk has been a champion of methanol as a ‘green’ power source since July 2021, when the carrier placed its first such order in 2021 with a single 2,100 teu ship from KSOE Group’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard. The ship is due for delivery in mid-2023.

Last year in August, Maersk then finally placed orders for eight methanol-powered mainline ships of 16,000 teu and it increased this number to twelve ships in January of 2022. All of these will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea, which is also part of KSOE. Rumors that Maersk was keen to place orders for additional methanol mainliners already surfaced in June and Hyundai Heavy is tipped to be the frontrunner.
 
Taking Ocean Network Express’2022 orders for ten ammonia-ready 13,700 teu ships, placed in May for USD 166 per unit, as a baseline, a 16,000+ teu ship with methanol propulsion is currently expected to cost at least USD 194 M.
 
Whether the new ships would be similar to the twelve initial units from Hyundai remains to be seen. The reported intake of 17,000 teu - if true - suggests that the additional ships could be of a new design.
 
With the twelve methanol mainline ships due from early 2024 to mid-2025, the first five extra units would likely be scheduled for delivery in the second half of 2025. Maersk intends to run all its methanol vessels on ‘green’ carbon-neutral fuel at the earliest opportunity, The carrier therefore initially secured an annual supply 10,000 tons of emethanol for its single feeder and it later entered into long-term agreements to procure 300,000 tons of green methanol annually in March.

Please Contact Us at：

media@xindemarine.com