In an event held in the port of Felixstowe, the shipping giant Maersk announced the name of his latest ecological container ship, Alexandra Maersk, which is the sixth ship in its fleet of properties capable of navigating in green methanol in its engines main and auxiliaries. This significant milestone is in accordance with sustainable shipping practices and Maersk’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions in global shipping.
The ship, with a total capacity of 16,592 TEU (equivalent units of twenty feet), is the fifth of a series of 18 large double-fuel methanol ships scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025. He used exclusively green methanol fuel on the journey from Korea to Felixstowe, symbolizing Maersk’s commitment to carbon-free transport.
Thinking back to Maersk’s first ship, which arrived at Felixstowe in 1988, CEO Vincent Clerk noted a remarkable increase in the ship’s capacity and efficiency. What was then one of the world’s largest boats could only transport a quarter of the load that Alexandra Maersk today can handle. “This leap in capacity, technology, and efficiency stands out how far we have arrived in the last three decades,” Clerc said. He added that by replacing traditional marine fuels with green methanol, Maersk can reduce CO2 emissions by 280 tons every day, which underlines the importance of sustainable transport solutions.
“The consequences of climate change are not distant warnings,” Clerc said. “They are current realities that demand urgent care and a close association between companies, governments and regulators.” He emphasized the responsibility of the shipping industry to support the global objectives of climate change, pointing out that the industry represents 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
During the name delivery event, Paul Marchant, the CEO of Primark, a client of Maersk, also gave a speech in which he described Maersk as a “key partner” in the retail supply chain. According to Marchant, supply chain management has seen some of its most turbulent and difficult years in the past six years. However, he noted that overcoming these difficulties has been made possible by the Primark Association with Maersk. Through Maersk, Primark transports 100,000 containers a year from 25 source nations to five destination ports throughout the globe.
Marchant highlighted that the marine industry is a priority for both Primark and Maersk, emphasizing that the use of green methanol in shipping would contribute to a decrease in carbon emissions. Maersk aims to achieve net emissions of zero in all its businesses by 2040, while Primark is aimed at half of the emissions of its value chain by 2030.
Elaine Condon, director of people and culture at Primark, was announced as the godmother of Alexandra Maersk in recognition of the association between the two companies.
Undersecretary of Parliamentary State for the Department of Transportation Mike Kane discussed how the government intends to assist with green transportation projects. “The greenest transport delivery is one of my department’s main priorities and will play an integral role in our trip to Net Zero,” Kane stated. He stressed that the reduction of GHG emissions in the shipping sector requires investment in sustainable fuels such as green methanol and improvement of port infrastructure to handle zero emissions ships.
One of the barriers to adopt alternative fuels such as green methanol is the price difference compared to traditional fossil fuels. Kane gave the guests the assurance that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is working with the government to remedy this issue. He also emphasized how critical it is to develop the port infrastructure required to meet the rising demand for environmentally friendly shipping fuels.