On Tuesday, in a statement A.P. Moller-Maersk said, it had ordered 8 vessels which can run on carbon-neutral methanol to accelerate the decarbonisation of its fleet.

The development sees the shipping giant meeting demand for greener transportation.

A.P. Moller-Maersk has vowed to order only new carbon-neutral vessels with the aim to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050. Since vessels typically have a lifetime of 20-35 years, it will mean it must have a carbon-neutral fleet by 2030.

The 8 vessels can each carry 16,000 containers, will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries with deliveries expected in 2024.

More than 50% of Maersk’s 200 largest customers, including Amazon, Microsoft and Disney have set or were in the process of setting targets to cut carbon emissions in their supply chain.

“This order proves that carbon-neutral solutions are available today across container vessel segments and that Maersk stands committed to the growing number of our customers who look to decarbonise their supply chains,” said Soren Skou, Maersk’s CEO in a statement.

With around 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions.

The new vessels will be fitted with engines that can run both green methanol, and regular bunker fuel since there is not enough carbon-neutral fuel available in the market.

Earlier this month, the Danish firm said, it had signed a contract securing green methanol to operate its first carbon-neutral ship in 2023 in a first step to tackle the challenges in securing the adequate supply.

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