Integrated container logistics company A.P. Moller – Maersk announced today new partnerships with Danish renewable energy company European Energy and its subsidiary REintegrate to produce green fuel for its first vessel to operate on carbon neutral methanol, the first of its kind container ship in the world.

The agreement follows Maersk’s recent announcement last month of a deal with shipbuilding company Hyundai Mipo Dockyards for construction of the 172-meter, 2100 TEU vessel.

The ship will feature a dual engine, enabling it to sail on either methanol or traditional very low Sulphur fuel, and is expected to be delivered by mid-2023.

Under the new partnership announced today, REintegrate and European Energy will establish a Danish facility that will use renewable energy and biogenic CO2 for the production of 10.000 tons of carbon neutral e-methanol.

Knud Erik Andersen, CEO, European Energy, said:

“We’re proud to be a part of the first large-scale e-methanol production in Denmark. While renewable energy is becoming more and more common in the energy mix of electricity consumption, this is one of the first steps in heavy transportation towards using 100% renewable energy. This agreement marks a milestone in the journey towards green transition in the shipping industry.”

As companies globally increasingly aim to reduce the climate impact of their supply chains, the sustainability profile of ocean shipping is coming under growing scrutiny. According to the European Maritime Safety Agency, shipping accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to air pollution close to coastal areas and ports.

Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, CEO of Fleet & Strategic Brands, A.P. Moller – Maersk, said:

“This type of partnership could become a blueprint for how to scale green fuel production through collaboration with partners across the industry ecosystem, and it will provide us with valuable experiences as we are progressing on our journey to decarbonise our customers’ supply chains. Sourcing the fuels of the future is a significant challenge, and we need to be able to scale production in time. This agreement with European Energy/REintegrate brings us on track to deliver on our ambition to have the world’s first container vessel operated on carbon neutral methanol on the water by 2023.”