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EC President to be godmother of Maersk green methanol powered vessel

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Ursula von der Leyen will formally name the vessel at a ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 September, where it arrives on its maiden voyage, before heading to its regular operational route in the Baltic Sea.
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A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) on Tuesday (6 June) said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission (EC), has accepted to be named godmother of Maersk’s new feeder vessel, the world’s first ever container vessel sailing on green methanol.

The Commission President will formally name the vessel at a ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 September, where it arrives on its maiden voyage, before heading to its regular operational route in the Baltic Sea. The Danish flagged 172-meter-long vessel is a key milestone for A.P. Moller – Maersk’s plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 across the entire business.

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“Just a few years ago, this iconic ship was merely a vision. Now, it is a reality, and we are honoured that Ursula von der Leyen has agreed to be its godmother. The European Commission, and especially its President, have been instrumental in steering the European continent towards an ambitious, green future,” said. Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller – Maersk.

“Our new vessel serves as a concrete example of the transformations that EU policies are supporting. This truly is the embodiment of the green deal in action.”

The 2,100 TEU (twenty-foot-equivalent) container vessel will stay in the Toldboden area of the Copenhagen harbour for about a week and be the focal point of several events and activities related to the shipping industry’s effort to decarbonise. The vessel will provide real operational experience for Maersk seafarers handling the new engines and using green methanol as fuel, as the company prepares to receive a fleet of new, large ocean-going methanol engine powered ships from 2024.

Maersk said the landmark feeder vessel is a major step toward the long-term objective of gradually renewing the entire fleet to operate solely on green bunker fuels.

Related: Maersk to hold festivities welcoming world’s first green methanol-powered boxship in September
Related: Maersk unveils design of its new methanol dual fuel container ship
Related: Maersk makes first green methanol investment of 2023 in tech start-up C1
Related: Maersk to operate world’s first methanol fuelled, carbon neutral feeder vessel by 2023

 

Photo credit: A.P. Moller – Maersk
Published: 7 June, 2023

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