Maersk to order over 50 dual-fuel ships under fleet renewal plan

In continuation of its fleet renewal programme initiated in 2021, A.P. Moller–Maersk is in the process of signing newbuilding orders and time-charter contracts for dual-fuel vessels matching the planned renewal pace of around 160,000 TEUs per year.

"As the shipyard orderbooks have been filling up quickly and lead time for vessel deliveries have increased significantly, we decided to place orders and charter contracts of 800,000TEU dual-fuel vessels, which ensures a steady flow of needed capacity for our network for the years 2026-2030 while building a competitive toolkit," said Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk.

The ordered capacity will be a mix of owned and chartered, ensuring that Maersk maintains strong financial and operational flexibility while continuing to own a significant part of its strategic tonnage. The vessels will come in different sizes offering great network optionality.

All vessels will be dual-fuel capable with the intent to operate them on low-emission fuel. To ensure the long-term competitiveness of the fleet and its ability to deliver on decarbonisation goals, Maersk has elected a mix of methanol and liquefied gas dual-fuel propulsion systems.

Maersk said that while green methanol is likely to become the most competitive and scalable pathway to decarbonisation in the short term, the company also foresees a multifuel future for the industry, which includes liquified bio-methane. Once the vessels have been delivered, around 25 per cent of the Maersk fleet will be equipped with dual-fuel engines.

The orders will reach a total of 50 to 60 ships combining both owned and chartered dual-fuel vessels equaling 800,000 TEUs.