- Green-Powered Container Ship Docks in UK, Signaling Sustainable Shipping Future.
- Alexandra Maersk: A Vessel Revolutionizing Emissions with Green Methanol.
- Maersk Partners with Primark in Push for Lower Carbon Emissions by 2030.
A specially designed container ship that runs entirely on green fuels has just arrived in the UK, marking the significant first step toward zero-emission power for the shipping industry. It was officially named Alexandra Maersk at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk. It is a step towards the boldest of truly sustainable maritime operations, reports BBC.
Green Methanol as a Clean Fuel Alternative
Maersk, the shipping firm that owns the Alexandra Maersk, said the 350-metre-long vessel is designed to produce substantially fewer emissions than ships running on traditional fossil fuels. That’s largely because the vessel will run on green methanol, which is considered sustainably sourced and manufactured. Green methanol could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 65% to 90% compared with conventional fuels, such as bunker oil, Maersk noted.
Alexandra Maersk is a vessel in the sixth series that can sail with methanol in the main and backup engines. It also has a dual-fuel engine, meaning it can run on traditional fossil fuels if green methanol is not available.
A Key Partnership with Retail Giant Primark
Retail chain giant Primark has partnered with Maersk in order to take a significant step in the direction of its own sustainability agenda. The carbon emissions of Primark are supposed to be halved by 2030. It’s agreement made with Maersk is inclined in accordance with the strategy.
A Game Changer
Morten Wehner, the ship’s chief engineer, said it was a “game changer” as there is nothing coming out of the chimney, compared to plumes of smoke people might associate with ships burning traditional fuel.
“I am very proud. I believe [this is] one of the things we really need to do to leave a better world,” he added.
Overcoming Challenges to Achieve Green Shipping
Christian Besa, the ship’s captain, said the vessel sailed from Gibraltar to Felixstowe exclusively on green fuel. He said: “The biggest challenge we have is we want to run on green methanol. So that’s a big challenge, we’re struggling to get enough but in my opinion, when demand is there the suppliers will deliver and in the near future there will be enough green fuel for all of us.”
A Scalable Path to Greener Shipping
Karsten Kildahl, chief commercial officer at Maersk, said: “When we started the journey a few years back to find out how we could go from a black fuel, a traditional fossil fuel, to a green fuel there were lots of choices and we landed on methanol as the most likely fuel to be scalable in the near future.”
The ship is expected to become greener as the availability of green fuel increases in its 25-year operational lifetime.
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Source: BBC
