Hapag-Lloyd has ordered eight new container vessels from CIMC Raffles in China. Each ship will have a capacity of 4,500 TEU. Deliveries are scheduled for 2028 and 2029. Overall, the investment exceeds USD 500 million.
Shift toward methanol propulsion
The newbuilds will run on dual-fuel methanol engines. Compared with older ships in the same size range, they will be up to 30% more efficient. When operating on methanol, the vessels can cut emissions by up to 350,000 tonnes of CO₂e per year. As a result, this project marks the company’s first methanol-based newbuilding programme.
Building on earlier decarbonisation steps
At the same time, the order complements an existing alternative-fuel fleet. A total of 37 LNG-powered ships are already operating or planned, with the ability to use biomethane. In addition, five 10,100 TEU vessels are set for conversion to methanol dual-fuel propulsion between 2026 and 2027.
Fuel supply and chartered capacity
To support this transition, a long-term agreement covers the supply of 250,000 tonnes of green methanol per year. This fuel blend is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70%. Meanwhile, the fleet will also expand through 14 long-term chartered newbuildings across the 1,800 TEU, 3,500 TEU, and 4,500 TEU segments, with deliveries from 2027 to 2029.
Strategic impact on the fleet
Together, these investments bring the total number of sub-5,000 TEU new vessels to 22. Consequently, the programme will replace older tonnage, improve fuel efficiency, and lower reliance on the charter market. The initiative also supports the wider target of cutting absolute fleet emissions by around one third by 2030, compared with 2022 levels, while working toward net-zero operations by 2045.
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Source: Hapag-Lloyd
