Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk has held a naming ceremony for its newest dual-fuel methanol containership at its APM Terminals Maasvlakte II terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
As informed, the container vessel, which has a capacity of over 16,000 TEUs, was named Adrian Maersk .
The newbuild will, reportedly, serve the Asia-Mediterranean trade lane after completing its maiden voyage from Rotterdam. As part of Maersk’s new East-West network, it is expected to do its part to fulfil the company’s ambition to deliver a schedule reliability above 90% once the new network is fully phased in. Maersk said that its hub terminals, such as APM Terminals Maasvlakte II, play another vital role in achieving this goal.
Stephanie Pullings Hart, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO) at Nestlé, and the godmother of the containership, stated that Nestlé recognizes climate change as one of the most pressing challenges of our time, adding: “By achieving a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2024, ahead of our 2025 target, and aiming for net zero by 2050, we demonstrate our dedication to sustainability. Our green logistics efforts, including partnerships with Maersk, showcase our commitment to reducing emissions and promoting a sustainable future.”
To note, Nestlé is said to ship 100% of its Maersk ocean cargo under the ECO Delivery Ocean product, which utilizes alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to Maersk, these alternative fuels reduce the GHG emissions of the Nestlé cargo by more than 80% compared to conventional fossil ship fuels.
Commenting on the naming event, Karsten Kildahl, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Maersk, stressed: “The dual-fuel vessels demonstrate that the technology for the energy transition of the shipping industry is here. 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. At the same time, we need ambitious customers like Nestlé as our close partners in the green transition of shipping and logistics which we couldn’t achieve without their support.”
It is understood that dual-fuel vessels are central to Maersk’s decarbonization plans. In 2024, the shipping giant unveiled that it is in the process of signing newbuilding orders and time-charter contracts for dual-fuel vessels to match the planned renewal pace of around 160,000 TEUs per year.
As disclosed, the orders represent a continuation of its fleet renewal program initiated in 2021 and will comprise a total of 50-60 containerships, combining both owned and chartered dual-fuel vessels, equaling 800,000 TEU. Approximately 300,000 TEU is expected to be owned capacity, while the remaining 500,000 TEU is planned through time-charter agreements.