Ocean freight liner Hapag-Lloyd has ordered 24 new container ships through $4 billion in contracts with two Chinese shipyards, saying the investment will continue to modernize and decarbonize its fleet.
Half the order will include 12 vessels with a capacity of 16,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, and will expand the Dutch company’s capacity. The other 12 ships with a capacity of 9,200 TEU each will be made by New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd. and will replace aging vessels. Hapag-Lloyd’s current fleet includes 287 container ships with a total transport capacity of 2.2 million TEU.
Set for delivery between 2027 and 2029, the ships will all feature low-emission, high-pressure liquefied gas dual-fuel engines that are extremely fuel-efficient, the company said. In addition, these vessels can be operated with ammonia fuel or with biomethane, which can reduce CO2e emissions by up to 95% compared to conventional propulsion systems.
“This investment is one of the largest in the recent history of Hapag-Lloyd, and it represents a significant milestone for our company as it pursues the goals of its Strategy 2030, such as to grow while also modernizing and decarbonizing our fleet. Operating a fleet of more efficient vessels will also enhance our competitive position, and thanks to the increase in capacity, we will continue to offer our customers a global, high-quality product,” Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said in a release.
The company says its Strategy 2030 follows the direction of the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement. It plans to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from fleet operations by around one third by 2030 compared to 2022, and to reach net-zero fleet operation by 2045.
