On January 26, Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk has named the world’s first 16,200 TEU methanol dual-fuel large container ship “Ane Maersk”, the naming ceremony was held at the Korean shipyard.
It is the first vessel in a series of 12 16,200 TEU methanol dual-fuel containerships ordered by Maersk from Hyundai Heavy Industries in 2021, with steel plates cut in December 2022, launched in October 2023 and scheduled for delivery in early 2024.
The “Ane Maersk” was named after A.P. Moller and Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, President of A.P. Moller Holding, and was christened by her eldest granddaughter.
It is reported that the series of containers will be equipped with MAN G95ME-LGIM10.5 EGR-TC engines, with an overall length of 350 meters and a breadth of 53.5 meters. The new containers will have a new design, where the crew quarters and the bridge will be located at the bow in order to increase the container capacity. The smokestack will be placed on the aft side of the ship, thus providing more space for cargo. Overall, the vessel’s cargo capacity will be 7% higher than existing vessels in the same class. This separation design between the accommodation and the smokestack will also improve the efficiency of the ship in port.
The Ane Maersk is expected to be engaged from February 9, 2024 on the AE7 route connecting Asia and Europe. The route calls at the ports of Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo and Hamburg, with Ningbo, China, as the vessel’s first port of destination. Maersk is ready with enough green methanol fuel for the container’s maiden voyage and is continuing its efforts to find fuel sourcing solutions for its methanol-powered fleet for 2024-2025.
In the first half of 2024, Maersk will commission two more ships of the same type, with naming ceremonies taking place in Yokohama, Japan and Los Angeles, USA. Maersk expects to take delivery of another four vessels of the same type in the second half of 2024.