Maersk unveils dual-fuel ship as part of green transition

A.P. Moller – Maersk has celebrated the naming of its new dual-fuel methanol vessel, the Adrian Maersk, at APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam.

Maersk unveils dual-fuel ship as part of green transition

The ceremony, which marked a significant milestone in Maersk’s green transition, saw Stephanie Pullings Hart, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Nestlé, named as the godmother of the vessel.

Key customer Nestlé ships all of its ocean cargo using Maersk’s ECO Delivery Ocean product, which uses alternative fuels to reduce GHG emissions by over 80 per cent compared to conventional fossil fuels.

“The dual-fuel vessels demonstrate that the technology for the energy transition of the shipping industry is here,” commented Karsten Kildahl, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Maersk.

“What is crucial now are the decisions that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states will make in London next month. We urgently need regulation to support the uptake of fuels that significantly reduce GHG emissions.”

The Adrian Maersk, with a capacity of over 16,000 TEUs, will primarily serve the Asia-Mediterranean trade lane. It is a key part of Maersk’s new East-West network, aimed at improving schedule reliability above 90 per cent.

Dual-fuel vessels are central to Maersk’s decarbonisation strategy. Bio- and e-methanol fuels can reduce GHG emissions by 65 per cent to 90 per cent compared to conventional fossil fuels, depending on the feedstock and production process.

In addition to methanol, Maersk plans to deploy dual-fuel liquefied methane vessels, aiming to use bio- or e-methane as soon as possible.

Maersk has reported strong financial results for 2024 with growth across all segments and significantly improved profitability with EBIT increasing 65 per cent to $6.5 billion. Results were driven by higher container demand, elevated freight rates in Ocean, top-line and volume growth in Terminals, and solid improvements in most Logistics & Services products.