A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) has officially christened the first newbuild in a series of 17,480 TEU container ships. The ships are equipped with dual-fuel engines that can be powered by green methanol.
Further advancing decarbonization
The "Berlin Maersk" is the 14th newbuild in the Maersk fleet with dual-fuel technology. Five more identical sister ships of this new class are to follow.
"With the introduction of the Berlin-Maersk-class, we are continuing to expand our fleet of ships that can be
operated with alternative fuels. Fleet renewal is indispensable for maintaining our competitiveness and is also a prerequisite for the decarbonization of shipping," said Anda Cristescu, Head of Chartering & Newbuildings at Maersk.
Planned Route
The ship named after the German capital is announced to have its first port stay in Shanghai on July 7, 2025, and is then to be used in Maersk's AE3 service, which connects Asia with Northern Europe. As calling stations in Europe, London Gateway, Rotterdam, and
the southern Spanish port of Algeciras are planned.
The design of the ship closely resembles that of the previous Ane-Maersk class, of which Maersk currently has twelve dual-fuel ships in the fleet.
However, the six ships of the Berlin-Maersk class have more capacity. The company describes it as the largest dual-fuel ship in the Maersk fleet to date.
"Since our decision to order the first dual-fuel methanol ship in 2021, we have come a long way, while many other shipping
companies have also invested in this propulsion technology. Our new Berlin-Maersk-class builds on the foundation we first laid with our 'Laura Maersk' and shortly thereafter with the Ane-Maersk class," said Ole Graa Jakobsen, Head of Fleet Technology at Maersk.
According to him, the Berlin-Maersk class is intended to set a new benchmark for efficiency in the industry. All six ships in the series will be built by HHI and delivered in 2025. They are to sail under the Danish flag.
