German shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd has announced that Hanwha Ocean (formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, DSME) has delivered the 23,600 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel ultra-large containership “Hamburg Express” to the company, with a naming ceremony to be held on November 4 in Hamburg, Germany.
With a length of 399 meters, a beam of 61 meters and a capacity of 23,600 TEUs, the “Hamburg Express” is the seventh in a series of 12 new ultra-large containerships in the Hapag-Lloyd Express family, which is also the largest containership sailing under the German flag.
In December 2022, Hapag-Lloyd ordered six 23,600 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel-powered containerships for delivery in 2023 from then DSME. Six months later, the German shipowner placed an order with the shipbuilder for an additional six ships of the same type valued at $1 billion. The first ship in the series, the “Berlin Express”, was delivered in July 2023, and the remaining five will be delivered by the end of 2025.
According to Hapag-Lloyd, this series of containerships are equipped with MAN B&W11G95ME-C10.5-GI dual-fuel main engines, which can run on both Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Compared to conventional marine fuels, the use of LNG can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15 to 25 per cent and soot emissions by 95 per cent; With advanced technologies such as optimized hulls and efficient propellers, it will help the ship to reduce fuel consumption, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions; The ships are equipped with main engines that can run on non-fossil fuels such as biomethane and e-methane, producing virtually no CO2 emissions during operation.
In addition, the series of containerships are equipped with shore power systems, which are fitted with auxiliary engines that can be switched off while in port.