Copenhagen, Denmark – A.P. Moller – Maersk is forging ahead with its ambitious fleet renewal program, initiated in 2021. This effort includes signing newbuilding orders and time-charter contracts for dual-fuel vessels, aligning with their planned renewal rate of around 160,000 TEU per year.
“Our fleet renewal program is fundamental to maintaining competitive edge in our ocean business, and it is a cornerstone in decarbonising our operations,” said Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk. “As the shipyard orderbooks have been filling up quickly and lead time for vessel deliveries have increased significantly, we decided to place orders and charter contracts of 800,000 TEU dual-fuel vessels. This ensures a steady flow of needed capacity for our network from 2026 to 2030 while building a competitive toolkit.”
The ordered capacity will be a mix of owned and chartered vessels, providing Maersk with strong financial and operational flexibility while ensuring ownership of significant strategic tonnage. The vessels will vary in size, offering extensive network options. In line with Maersk’s commitment to decarbonisation, all vessels will be dual-fuel, intended to operate on low-emission fuels. Maersk has chosen a mix of methanol and liquefied gas dual-fuel propulsion systems. While green methanol is likely to be the most competitive and scalable pathway to decarbonisation in the short term, Maersk also envisions a multifuel future for the industry, including liquefied bio-methane.
“These orders will not add to our overall capacity. Over time, each new vessel will replace a scrapped vessel that has reached the end of its life, ensuring we maintain our fleet size at around 4.3 million TEU,” said Ahmed Hassan, Head of Asset Strategy & Strategic Partnerships at Maersk. “By diversifying our fleet and fuel options, we gain the flexibility, knowledge, and experience to cater to a future with multiple fuel paths. We thank our partners for working with us to move the industry further towards enabling a future with decarbonised ocean transport.”
Maersk’s fleet renewal plan includes 50-60 new dual-fuel vessels, combining both owned and chartered capacities totaling 800,000 TEU. About 300,000 TEU will be owned, while the remaining 500,000 TEU will come through time-charter agreements. The exact split of propulsion technologies will be determined based on future regulatory frameworks and the availability of green fuels. Maersk is already working on securing offtake agreements for liquefied bio-methane (bio-LNG) to ensure that the new dual-fuel gas vessels provide greenhouse gas emissions reductions within this decade.
Previously, Maersk announced orders for 25 owned dual-fuel methanol vessels, with 5 currently in service and 20 on order, providing around 350,000 TEU of dual-fuel capacity. This continuous investment highlights Maersk’s dedication to pioneering sustainable solutions in the maritime industry.
