Maersk tackles fuel supply risk to advance green shipping

The deal gives Maersk early access to a low-carbon fuel that can sharply cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, addressing one of the sector’s key hurdles: reliable alternative fuel supply.

Alongside bio‑LNG, Maersk has trialled multiple e‑methanol blends to assess operational performance and cost sensitivity.

These tests go beyond experimentation, reflecting the practical challenge of integrating alternative fuels across a global fleet while maintaining commercial viability.

Different operators have varying cost thresholds for decarbonisation. Testing multiple blends allows Maersk to build operational flexibility into its service offerings, balancing fuel availability, costs, and customer requirements.

The strategy shows a broader approach to scaling low-carbon fuels. Securing bio‑LNG mitigates supply risk, while e‑methanol trials provide insight into how vessels can operate under variable fuel scenarios.

Together, these steps create a roadmap for deploying low-carbon fuels at scale, demonstrating that the next phase of shipping decarbonisation will depend as much on fuel strategy and supply certainty as on vessel technology.

In February, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk lifted reliability and speed on the Gemini network, sustaining 90  per cent schedule reliability a year after launch while reinforcing key Asia–North Europe and Mediterranean trades.