Christening in Ulsan: The “Ane Maersk” is the first in a series of 18 methanol-capable ships and is named after the chairwoman of A.P. Møller Holding.
The world’s first large methanol-capable container ship has been christened at a ceremony at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) shipyard in Ulsan (South Korea). The ship is named after Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, Chairwoman of the A.P. Moller Foundation and A.P. Moller Holding. Ane’s eldest granddaughter acted as godmother and smashed a champagne bottle on the bow. [ds_preview]
The “Ane Mærsk” is the first in a series of 18 large ships, each with a capacity of 16,200 TEU, to be delivered between 2024 and 2025, and only the second methanol-capable container ship in the world. The feeder “Laura Maersk” was the first ship of its kind in the world to be christened by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Copenhagen in September last year.
Bridge of the “Ane Maersk” on the forecastle
The “Ane Maersk” will enter service on the AE7 line between Asia and Europe at the beginning of February. The ships of the new series are characterized by an innovative design in which the bridge and accommodation are located at the front of the ship, enabling fuel-efficient operation. The freighters are 350 meters long and 53.5 meters wide.
“This series will have a significant impact on our efforts to achieve our industry-leading climate targets. With the ‘Ane Mærsk’ and her sister ships, we are expanding our offering for the growing number of companies that want to reduce the emissions of their supply chains,” says Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Møller-Maersk.
Maersk secures methanol bunker volumes
The “Ane Mærsk” will bunker methanol and use it as fuel on its maiden voyage. According to Maersk, it is continuing to work carefully on procurement and bunker solutions in order to be able to supply the methanol-capable fleet with sufficient bunker quantities from 2024/2025.
The shipping company has also ordered another series of medium-sized container ships with dual-fuel engines that can carry 9,000 TEU and will be delivered in 2026 and 2027. The order book comprises a total of 25 dual-fuel ships.
