Hapag-Lloyd launches fleet upgrade programme
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s major shipping line, is planning to modernise 150 container ships. It is a part of the company’s environmental policy. The fleet upgrade programme is designed for a five-year-long period.
With the loading of the first retrofit propeller in the Port of Hamburg, Hapag-Lloyd is launching its comprehensive Fleet Upgrade Programme. The goal is to technically modernise the existing fleet. The propeller, which has been optimised for energy efficiency by the German manufacturer MMG, will be installed on Hapag-Lloyd’s Ningbo Express container vessel with a capacity of 7,500 TEU in Dubai in September. As a result, the ship saves between 10 and 13 per cent of fuel and CO2 emissions, depending on the sailing condition. In total, there are plans to equip at least 86 ships with the new and more efficient propellers.
At the same time, 36 vessels will receive a new, flow-optimised bulbous bow. During the scheduled dry dock stays, a resistance-reducing coat of anti-fouling paint will also be applied to all vessels on the part of the exterior hull beneath the waterline. Most of the measures will be carried out by 2025 and make a significant contribution to helping the company to achieve its climate targets.
Interim and strategic goals
“We aim to be climate-neutral by 2045. To reach this goal, we have set ourselves the interim target of reducing the CO2 intensity of our own ships by 30 per cent already by 2030. To do so, we are investing in new future-proof ships while simultaneously focusing on making our existing fleet fit for the future. The Fleet Upgrade Program will boost the energy efficiency of the entire fleet,” said Maximilian Rothkopf, COO of Hapag-Lloyd.
The investment volume of the Fleet Upgrade Program will be in the three-digit million range. Together with the 2-billion-euro order for 12 LNG ships placed two years ago, this large-scale measure demonstrates that Hapag-Lloyd is rigorously investing in sustainable, competitive ship operations for the long term.