Maersk adopts new design for methanol-fuelled container ships
Illustration of the new container ship design (Source: Maersk)
Maersk has taken nearly five years to develop a radical new design for a series of 16,000-TEU methanol-fuelled container ships due to commissioned by the carrier early in 2024.
The 350m-long ships, to be built at Hyundai Heavy Industries, will have dual-fuelled engines running on carbon-neutral methanol or low-sulphur fuel, and will strike a 20% gain in energy efficiency per container, Maersk said. Key features of the new ship series include an accommodation block and bridge located at the bow, with an aft funnel on one side of the vessel. Both of these features will boost box capacity.
Repositioning of the accommodation has required close attention to seakeeping and crew comfort, while designers have also focused on ensuring sufficient hull strength, having foregone the ‘stiffening’ effect of the accommodation block when located further aft.
The ships will have sufficient fuel capacity to complete one entire round-trip between Asia and Europe, and the company claims that their introduction will enable it to offer customers carbon-neutral transport at scale in key ocean trades.
