Hapag-Lloyd Orders Methanol-Fueled Ships in Fleet Upgrade

Hapag-Lloyd has advanced its fleet modernization strategy by ordering eight dual-fuel methanol container ships from China’s CIMC Raffles and arranging long-term charters for 14 additional vessels.

The company said the eight newbuild ships will each have a capacity of 4,500 teu, with deliveries planned for 2028 and 2029. The investment exceeds $500 million and represents Hapag-Lloyd’s first methanol-powered newbuild program.

Each vessel will feature dual-fuel engines capable of operating on both methanol and traditional marine fuel. According to the company, these ships will be up to 30 percent more efficient than older vessels of comparable size and could reduce emissions by as much as 350,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year when running on methanol.

The new order expands the carrier’s alternative-fuel fleet, which already includes 37 LNG dual-fuel ships either in service or under construction, all capable of operating on biomethane.

In addition to the firm order with CIMC Raffles, the Hamburg-based line has finalized long-term charter agreements for 14 feeder vessels. These include four ships of 1,800 teu, six of 3,500 teu and four additional 4,500 teu units, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029. Combined with the methanol newbuilds, the carrier is moving forward with plans to add 22 ships under 5,000 teu, a goal it outlined earlier this year.

Chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen said that renewing the fleet remains a key component of Hapag-Lloyd’s Strategy 2030. “The new ships will help replace older tonnage, further decarbonise the Hapag-Lloyd fleet and reduce our dependence on the charter market,” he noted, adding that the updates will also lower operating expenses.

The methanol-powered vessels support broader decarbonization actions already underway. The carrier is working with Seaspan to convert five 10,100 teu vessels to methanol dual-fuel capability in 2026 and 2027, and previously signed an agreement with China’s Goldwind to supply 250,000 tonnes of green methanol annually. The blend of bio- and e-methanol is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70 percent.

Hapag-Lloyd aims to reduce absolute fleet emissions by one third by 2030, compared with 2022 levels, and reach net-zero operations by 2045. As of late September, the company operated more than 300 ships with total capacity around 2.5 million teu, ranking it fifth among the world’s largest container carriers.