Hapag-Lloyd has signed a contract with Chinese shipyard CIMC Raffles for eight new 4,500 TEU container ships, scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029, representing an investment of over USD 500 million.

The vessels will feature advanced dual-fuel methanol engines, offering up to 30 percent greater efficiency compared with older ships in the same class and potentially saving up to 350,000 metric tons of CO2e annually when using methanol. These ships mark Hapag-Lloyd’s first newbuild project using this sustainable propulsion technology and will expand the company’s growing dual-fuel fleet, which currently includes 37 LNG-capable ships able to run on biomethane.

This announcement follows Hapag-Lloyd’s April 2024 agreement with Seaspan Corporation to convert five 10,100 TEU ships to dual-fuel methanol propulsion in 2026–2027, and a November 2024 deal with Goldwind to supply 250,000 metric tons per year of green methanol, combining biomethanol and e-methanol. The green methanol is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 70 percent, meeting current sustainability standards.