Maersk orders eight dual-fuel container ships

Maersk has signed an order for eight 18,600-TEU vessels with New Times Shipbuilding Co in China. All eight ships will have the same characteristics and make up a new series of vessels with delivery slated for 2029 and 2030.

“We are pleased to have signed this agreement for eight large vessels. The order is part of our ongoing fleet renewal and helps maintain our fleet’s competitive edge,” said Maersk head of chartering and newbuilding Anda Cristescu.

At 366 m in length and 59 m in breadth, these vessels are more compact than the current maximum container vessel length of 400 m, noted Maersk in a statement.

“Deployment flexibility has been a key factor in our decision-making. Although these vessels are large, they offer greater flexibility than the largest ships currently being built in our industry. This provides us with multiple deployment options across both our current and future networks,” said Mr Cristescu.

The ships will be equipped with dual-fuel engines able to operate on conventional bunker fuel or liquefied gas. From an initial focus on green methanol, it has added dual-fuel methane propulsion to the mix.

Following this new order, Maersk now has 33 vessels on order, with four scheduled for delivery in the remainder of 2026.

Maersk’s 2025 financial results, announced last week, show that while its ocean business saw a 5% volume growth in 2025, it suffered a profit decline.