HD Hyundai Delivers World's First Methanol-fueled Container Ship to Maersk
HD Hyundai announced on Sept. 17 that the company’s president attended the naming ceremony for the 2,100 TEU-class methanol-fueled container ship Laura Maersk held recently in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The ship, constructed by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, is the first of 19 methanol-fueled ships commissioned to HD Hyundai by the global shipping group “AP Moller-Maersk,” commonly referred to as Maersk. It holds significance as the first container ship to utilize methanol as its fuel.
The Laura Maersk set sail from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan last July, completing a journey of approximately 21,500 km over two months, arriving in Copenhagen on Sept. 13. Maersk, signaling a “New Era of Shipping,” desired to hold the naming ceremony at its headquarters. Consequently, the president of HD Hyundai traveled to Copenhagen to attend the event. Other attendees included A.P. Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla; Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and others.
The ship’s name was inspired by the first steamship, named Laura, purchased by the company’s founder, Peter Moller. Emblazoned on the bow and hull is the slogan “All the Way to Zero,” emphasizing the company’s focus on carbon neutrality. Maersk broadcast the ship’s arrival in Copenhagen and the entire naming ceremony process live on YouTube and other social media platforms, showcasing the successful launch of the world’s first methanol-powered container ship to the global audience.
HD Hyundai has received orders for a record 43 methanol-fueled container ships worldwide. They are also active in the next-generation eco-friendly ship market, obtaining basic certification for ammonia propulsion and transport ships, developing LNG-hydrogen “mixed-fuel engines,” and constructing the ICT-integrated electric propulsion smart ship Ulsan Taehwa.
Note: Article by Jasmine Choi (https://www.businesskorea.co.kr)