The 16,200 TEU Ane Maersk is the first in a series of 18 large methanol powered ships ordered by the Danish shipping company.

The vessel is named after Ane Mærsk Mc-Kinney Uggla, the Chair of the AP Moller Foundation and AP Moller Holding and christened by her eldest granddaughter.

The Ane Maersk will be deployed on Maersk’s AE7 service between Asia and Europe from February. The vessel will be fueled with green methanol for its maiden voyage and said it continues to work diligently on sourcing green fuels for 2024 – 2025.

Maersk classifies green fuels those with either low GHG emissions -  65-80% life cycle GHG reductions compared to fossil fuels, or very low GHG emissions - 80-95% life cycle GHG reductions compared to fossil fuels.

“This series of vessels will have a transformative impact on our ambition to progress on our industry-leading climate ambitions. It is a visual and operational proof of our commitment to a more sustainable industry. With “Ane Mærsk” and her sister vessels we are expanding our offer to the growing number of businesses aiming to reduce emissions from their supply chains,” said Vincent Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of AP Moller-Maersk.

An unusual feature of the Ane Maersk for a large box ship is the front placement of the bridge and accommodation block which Maersk says ensures fuel efficient operations.

Maersk was first mover in methanol powered container ships, and it has quickly gained popularity as an alternative for container ship newbuild orders with 106 contracted last year according to figures from DNV. Concerns however remain over the supply of blue or green methanol as fuel given limited production at present.