Decarbonising oceans

Why green fuels matter

For more than a century, shipping has relied on just one type of fuel: oil.

Today, we see the emergence of a patchwork of new greener fuel options. While many are promising, adoption will ultimately depend on advances in fleet technology and the capacity to secure green fuels at a scale and cost that makes them competitive against oil.

To ensure a measurable impact in this crucial decade, we are spreading our investments across several alternatives that we are confident can make a difference both now and in the near term.

Our ambition

We will deliver an emergency response to the climate crisis and take leadership in decarbonising global supply chains.

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Our targets

~50%

Reduction in carbon intensity (EEOI) by 2030 (2020 baseline)

≥25%

Cargo transported with green fuels by 2030

2040

Net zero across our business and 100% green solutions to customers by 2040

Progress in 2022

19 greener vessels on order

We ordered 6 more large container vessels that can run on green methanol taking the total to 19, with a first delivery expected in 2023

Climate-efficient retrofits

Technical kick-off meetings were held covering ~200 of our time-chartered vessels, with implementation in progress on around 40 vessels

New green fuel partnerships

We announced 9 new strategic partnerships in line with our mission to secure ~5 million tonnes of green methanol by 2030

Priorities and actions

Based on our pathway analysis of viable future fuels for net zero ocean shipping, we are prioritising the exploration of three alternative fuel types.

Biodiesels

Maersk's policy is to only use second-generation bio-diesel. Derived from waste as residue as feedstocks, biofuels have significant impact potential. Suitable as drop-in fuel in existing vessels, they are already powering our fleet and are sold under the Maersk ECO Delivery label.

Uptake of biofuel solutions may be limited by the availability of suitable biomass feedstock and competing demand from road and aviation.

Green methanol

Bio-methanol and e-methanol, including lignin enhanced fuels, can be produced from sustainable biomass and renewable electricity. They have well-known handling and are powering vessels today.

We are prioritising green methanol solutions as they may enable us to have a greater impact on the sustainability of global supply chains in this decade.

Green ammonia

E-ammonia can be produced at scale from renewable electricity and contains zero carbon.

Green ammonia currently presents safety and toxicity challenges, and challenges at ports. While it could be the most promising future option, it may take longer to scale.

All the way to zero

Learn more about our new green fuel powered fleet of container vessels and our ambition to be net zero by 2040. Discover the innovation, strategy and partnerships that resulted in the first tangible step to decarbonising ocean container transportation. All the way to zero.

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A Maersk ship on water, running on green methanol, carrying cargo containers.

Featured highlights and case stories

Setting our course to decarbonise oceans

In 2021, Maersk became the first container shipping company to order methanol enabled vessels. Our firm intention was to show the industry that a demand exists for green marine fuels and incentivise the scale-up of production capacity.

In 2022, we ordered an additional six large ocean-going vessels that can sail on green methanol in 2022. These will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and bring the total number of dual-fuel methanol engine vessels in our order books to 19.

De-risking the green fuel pathway

Securing the availability of green fuels at scale is the biggest challenge to our decarbonisation ambitions. Leveraging our buying power, we are acting as a catalyst to accelerate the development of the green fuel market.

Through nine newly announced strategic partnerships in 2022, we have laid the groundwork for our mission to secure around 5 million tonnes of green methanol by 2030. By stimulating the market in this way, we hope to send a signal to fuel producers that they can safely invest in scaling solutions to ensure a steady supply of future green fuels.

Maersk ECO Delivery: accelerate your net zero commitments

We are working closely with a broad range of customers to expand our green fuel offerings. Maersk ECO Delivery substitutes fossil fuels with low-GHG alternatives and harnesses our new technologies and vessels to provide an easier option for customers seeking to ship their cargo sustainably.

Maersk Emissions Dashboard

Whether you are looking for improved visibility over ocean freight greenhouse gas emissions data, or enhanced emissions reporting and optimisation across your logistics set up, the Maersk Emissions Dashboard is a single point solution for keeping your emissions targets in sight.