Climate neutrality by 2040
Maersk puts first methanol ship into operation
September 14, 2023, 2:23 p.m
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Worldwide, exhaust gases from shipping pollute the environment more than air traffic. Maersk therefore wants to achieve climate-neutral transport by 2040. The shipping company’s first freighter powered by green methanol will now be inaugurated and christened in Copenhagen.
In the presence of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Danish shipping company Maersk inaugurated its first freighter powered by biomethanol. “Green methanol is our preferred fuel,” said Maersk boss Vincent Clerc in Copenhagen. “Because it is the only solution to meet the requirements of CO2 neutrality.” The group wants to have a neutral CO2 balance by 2040.
“Neither we nor the climate can afford to rest on our laurels or wait for other solutions to emerge in the late 2020s,” he added. Von der Leyen then led the traditional throwing of bottles onto the hull, naming the ship “Laura”.
The freighter was built in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries and is comparatively small with a transport capacity of 2,136 containers. From October onwards it will be used primarily in the Baltic Sea. Maersk was the largest container shipping company in the world until it was overtaken by MSC in 2022. The group has ordered a total of 25 ships powered by e-methanol. 19 of them are expected to expire by 2025. This would reduce the group’s annual CO2 emissions by 2.3 million tonnes.
Worldwide, maritime transport pollutes the environment more than air transport. E-methanol is made from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen. If the hydrogen is “green”, i.e. produced using electricity from renewable energy sources, the fuel produced is also considered green.