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Port of Felixstowe welcomes first methanol-powered ship
Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe has celebrated the maiden call of the Laura Maersk, the first container ship in the world to complete a voyage powered by Green Methanol.
Commenting on its first call at the UK’s largest container port, Clemence Cheng, Executive Director of Hutchison Ports and Port of Felixstowe CEO, said: “This is a truly historic event. It is essential that the industry moves to decarbonise shipping and this first call by an alternatively fuelled vessel complements Hutchison Ports’ commitment to achieve Net Zero for our UK operations by 2035.
“All our electricity already comes from certified renewable sources and we are investing heavily in new electric trucks and yard cranes. By deploying the first of the 150 electric trucks we have on order to work on the Laura Maersk we are able to demonstrate how zero-emission journeys through the port are possible.”
Gary Jeffreys, Maersk’s Area Managing Director UK & Ireland, said: “We are very proud to have Laura Maersk in the UK. This innovative vessel is an important proof that the decarbonisation of supply chains is feasible. Laura Maersk is a game changer in an hard to abate industry.
“Combining low emission landside transport solutions with the soon to be delivered larger vessels running on green methanol will allow us to start offering green end to end solutions for our customers. This will be the first of many initiatives to get us to net zero.”
The Rt Hon Dr Therese Coffey MP, Secretary of State for the Environment and Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organisation, joined guests at the port and visited the vessel.
Dr Coffey said: “The UK Government has been a leader in introducing mandatory targets to achieve Net-Zero by 2050. Shipping is one of the more challenging sectors to decarbonise and I am pleased to see Maersk Line taking a lead in the adoption of green fuels.”
Kitack Lim said: “I'm delighted to witness this initiative which demonstrates shipping's ability to power a vessel entirely by green methanol. These visionary endeavours provide an invaluable insight and pave the way for future initiatives in pursuit of a green and sustainable shipping sector.”
The 2,100 TEU vessel will operate on the company’s Baltic shipping route between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia.