Danish shipping giant Maersk has ordered new liners that have the potential to be carbon neutral

In 2018, Maersk announced that it would have a 100% carbon neutral transport network by 2050. At the time of announcement was a moon stroke and deemed impossible limit. Although we are still far from reality, it seems that the Danish shipping giant is taking the first steps towards such a solution by place an order for eight ships for the new Hyundai Heavy Industries flex-fuel oceanliners. The ships will be delivered in 2024, with an option for four more in 2025.

As our global economy continues to increase its insatiable thirst for cheap, Chinese-made goods, emissions from their transport over oceans continue to rise. These new ships will replace eight machines in the current fleet as they are decommissioned, meaning it’s possible in the near future that some of the things you buy from Amazon and Alibaba may have been shipped without generating additional carbon creation. The new ships, capable of carrying 16,000 containers each, will be built to provide links between China and Europe and across the Pacific Ocean.

“Maersk’s ambition is to lead the way in decarbonization global logistics. Our customers expect us to help them decarbonize their global supply chains, and we rise to the challenge, working to address the practical, technical and safety challenges inherent in carbon-neutral fuels that we need in the future, ”said Søren Skou, CEO, AP Moller–Maersk.

The ships will be built to burn “green methanol” which can be made by combining hydrogen and capture CO2 from the air. Some see hydrogen itself as the fuel of the future for large-scale shipping like this, but it’s much more difficult to transport and store on board a freighter. So-called green methanol does not need to be treated any differently from traditional methanol and does not require pressure tanks or cooling.

There is one big hurdle to overcome with green methanol, however, and that is the cost. Maersk competitor DFDS (also based in Denmark) says green methanol will not be used in shipping, maybe never, due to the extreme price. “The limited availability of sustainable carbon combined with the large potential demand from the aviation and cement industries make green methanol less financially attractive for long-term shipping, as other industries will be able to pay more than we do, but we are still studying this,” says DFDS.

These new Maersk ships will also be able to run on traditional “bunker fuel” diesel.

Maersk has been the world’s largest shipping company since at least 1996, and according to Electrek it ships one in five freight containers. Over 90 percent of the world’s international freight is shipped by ocean freight, and the industry is responsible for 2-3 percent of global carbon emissions. If the company commits to refining its own green methanol and using it on these ships, it will significantly reduce global emissions. If it is only lip service and the shipping giant continues to fuel its fleet of ships with fuel, nothing will change.