To accelerate the decarbonization process, Maersk will launch methanol-fueled feeder container ships in 2023

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According to Cailian Press (Shanghai, editor: Xiao Xiang), Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, said on Wednesday (August 18) that it has signed its first contract for green methanol with a Danish company, which will operate the first carbon-neutral ship in 2023. Currently, about 90% of international trade is carried out by sea, and carbon dioxide emissions from global shipping account for nearly 3% of the world’s total emissions. Maersk said it has signed its first agreement with the Danish company REintegrate, which will be responsible for producing around 10,000 tons of carbon-neutral e-methanol. To accelerate the decarbonization process, Maersk previously announced that it would introduce methanol-fueled feeder container ships by 2023, aiming to have a carbon-neutral fleet in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Morten Bo Christiansen, head of Maersk’s decarbonization department, said, “Yes, it’s just one ship, but it will serve as a prototype for scalable solutions to achieve carbon neutrality in shipping.” ” The company is also working to address the challenge of ensuring a fuel supply; Christiansen estimates that the entire fleet requires 20 million tons of fuel. As the name implies, green methanol is produced using renewable resources such as biomass and solar energy. ““Let’s stop talking about fossil fuels and focus on expanding this prototype, as it will actually become the solution for a green transition,” said Christiansen. However, he refused to provide a specific timeline for when this market will become a reality. Christiansen also expects that in the initial years, ships equipped with green methanol engines will cost 10-15% more than conventional ships, as the cost of this fuel will be more than twice that of traditional marine fuels. “The good news is that, given the large amount of oil we consume, we can actually start shaping this market according to our needs,” said Christiansen. He said, “Although Maersk will include more expensive ships on its balance sheet, the additional fuel costs will be borne by the customers.” Of course, it actually won’t cost much more, because even if our fuel costs double, the impact on a pair of sneakers is less than 5 cents. ”