The debut voyage of ANE MAERSK, the world’s first methanol-powered mainliner
The debut voyage of ANE MAERSK on February 6, 2024, marked a historic milestone in container shipping, as it became the world’s first methanol-powered mainliner. Departing from Ningbo, this 16,592 TEU vessel represents a significant advancement in propulsion technology. ANE MAERSK follows in the footsteps of LAURA MAERSK, a 2,136 TEU vessel christened in Copenhagen in mid-September 2023, now operating in Scandinavia.
While Maersk has been pivotal in pioneering methanol as an alternative fuel in liner shipping, other carriers have also embraced this technology, with larger capacities of methanol dual-fuel ships on order. Maersk not only invested in these vessels but also committed to long-term procurement contracts for sustainably-sourced methanol.
The current orderbook reflects this trend, with 152 units under construction totaling over 1.75 million TEU in capacity. This figure is expected to rise further, given the growing preference for methanol in recent orders. In the latter half of 2023 and early 2024, 98 new vessels were ordered, totaling 802,000 TEU in capacity, with methanol-powered ships accounting for 81.5% of this new capacity, and an additional 14.3% represented by methanol-ready orders.
