Maersk will order its first carbon-neutral ships within three years

S? Ren Skou, chief executive of A.P. Moller-Maersk, said recently that Maersk was on track to place its first orders for new, smaller ships that comply with carbon rules within three years.It's part of Maersk 2050's Carbon Neutral Initiative, the company's big effort to mitigate climate change for the shipping industry.

Shi began calling for climate change targets as early as 2018 to be carbon neutral by 2050.Maersk has repeatedly made it clear that the first carbon-neutral ships must be in the fleet by 2030.Otherwise, long-term goals will not be achieved.According to Soren, the first ships will bring important lessons to help with the next phase of the climate response.Maersk expects to operate the first small container ships in specific areas.Three years from now, according to Mr. Soren's roadmap, a number of small container ships will be purchased or ordered to be deployed in specific areas.Subsequently, a fuel supply contract is signed to fuel the ship, gain operational experience and ensure the safe operation of the ship.Mr Soren hopes to order large container ships by the end of the third decade of the 21st century.

Maersk has previously pointed out that a variety of fuel combinations will be the green solution for future ships, including methanol, ethanol and ammonia.However, Szoren noted that each fuel poses different safety issues for crew members. Ethanol has a low ignition point;Ammonia is highly toxic.But he also stressed that Maersk could find a solution to the security problem in the next few years."We believe we can solve these problems in two to three years."In fact, Maersk has never been surpassed in terms of leading industry change, according to the Shipping Industry Network.Given that the average life of a ship is 25-30 years, it is indeed logical to place an order at this time to build a ship that will meet future emissions requirements.

In his latest report this month, Drewry said shippers are betting heavily on alternative fuels, including LNG and LPG, to meet the IMO's carbon reduction targets for 2030-50 years.Drewry noted, though, that the fall in oil prices has hit LNG's competitiveness in the short term.However, with many large shippers, including Amazon and Walmart, working to track and reduce their carbon footprints, and shipping finance companies offering preferential schemes for green ship loans, we believe LNG will remain the preferred alternative fuel for shippers in the long term.