World's first methanol-powered container ship calls at Port of Felixstowe
The Laura Maersk docked at the UK's biggest container port this morning.
Last updated 29th Sep 2023
The world's first ship powered by a less polluting type of fuel gas arrived at the Port of Felixstowe.
The Laura Maersk docked at the UK's biggest container port this morning.
It uses green methanol, which produces a much lower level of carbon emissions.
Port of Felixstowe CEO Clemence Cheng 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 Laura Maersk will operate in Northern Europe and the Baltic region.
The global shipping industry has long faced calls to cut its impact on the environment, with freighters creating around 3% of greenhouse gases emitted worldwide.