The “OOCL Wisdom” has loaded methanol for the first time at the Chinese port of Qingdao. The maiden voyage of the 24,000 TEU vessel is bound for Europe.
The “OOCL Wisdom” is the first container ship in the Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) fleet to be fitted with a dual-fuel propulsion system capable of running on methanol. The newbuild, which was delivered in May, has now taken on green methanol for the first time at the port of Qingdao.
The “OOCL Wisdom” is the first of a total of seven newbuilds to be powered by methanol. The 399-metre-long vessel has a capacity of 24,168 TEU, making it the largest container ship of its kind. It set off on its maiden voyage to Europe; in future, it will be deployed on the “Asia – North Europe Loop 1” route.
“The completion of the first bunkering operation using green methanol and the start of the maiden voyage to Europe from the port of Qingdao mark a significant success for the deepened cooperation between OOCL and the Shandong Port Group,” said Peter Pan, Director of Trades at OOCL. “This also underlines OOCL’s firm commitment to environmentally friendly and low-carbon development, digital intelligence and sustainability. Going forward, OOCL will continue to put customers first, drive forward fleet modernisation and the transition to low-carbon operations, and enhance service quality to offer safer, more reliable and more sustainable logistics solutions that support the continued growth of global trade.”
Since its acquisition in 2018, OOCL has been part of the Cosco Group, one of the world’s largest shipping groups. In addition to methanol, the company is also relying on LNG for the future operation of its fleet: OOCL recently ordered a total of twelve new container ships, which will significantly increase the shipping company’s capacity.
