Port of London welcomes Maersk’s methanol vessel

The Port of London Authority (PLA) has welcomed A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk)’s methanol-fuelled container vessel, Laura Maersk, for its maiden call.

This 2,100 TEU feeder vessel, which runs exclusively on low-emission fuel, will assist Maersk in meeting its long-term goal of gradually upgrading its whole fleet to run fully on green fuels.

Laura Maersk was officially named on 14 September by the EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, at a ceremony in Copenhagen.

Robin Mortimer, PLA’s Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted that our port, and pilotage, were chosen for the maiden call of such an innovative, low emissions container vessel, Laura Maersk. Powered by green fuel, she marks an impressive step forward in the transition to Net Zero.”

Gary Jeffreys, Maersk’s Area Managing Director UK & Ireland, added: “We are very proud to have Laura Maersk in the UK. This innovative vessel is an important proof that the decarbonisation of supply chains is feasible. Laura Maersk is a game changer in a hard to abate industry.

“Combining low emission landside transport solutions with the soon to be delivered larger vessels running on green methanol will allow us to start offering green end to end solutions for our customers. This will be the first of many initiatives to get us to Net Zero.”

In July, RightShip, a leading ESG-focused digital maritime platform, announced a collaboration with PLA to facilitate the Thames’s transformation to Net Zero.

More recently, Maersk and CMA CGM partnered to develop several areas relating to decarbonisation.