Unifeeder Group has signed a long-term time-charter arrangement for two new methanol-capable container feeder vessels, with an option for two more.
Elbdeich Reederei, situated in Germany, will construct and manage the 1,250 TEU vessels, which will be delivered in 2026.
Unifeeder Group intends to deploy the new boats on its European network, where they will make a substantial contribution to lowering the network’s emissions.
Along with parent company DP World, Unifeeder is collaborating with industry partners to develop solutions to the difficulty of renewable-methanol supply, which requires off-take obligations to grow production at the scale required to replace traditional fossil fuels.
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Jesper Kristensen, Group CEO of Unifeeder Group, said: “This is another significant step towards the green transformation of our fleet and our operations. These new vessels can be deployed across our current and future networks, offering a flexible, greener solution to our customers.
“As the number of methanol-capable vessels increases in both our operations and those of our customers, my hope is that this drives an increase in innovation and production amongst methanol producers. This will then complete a virtuous circle and ensure we can operate more and more methanol capable vessels with the right colour of methanol fuels in our networks.”
Unifeeder’s ambitious decarbonisation plan is supported by the investment in these new ships. Unifeeder has committed to a 25 per cent decrease in emissions by 2030, carbon neutrality by 2040, and net zero emissions by 2050.
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The company intends to do this by prioritising fuel-efficient practises, regular fleet maintenance and refitting procedures, and promoting a culture of learning and cooperation, sharing best practises across markets to create successful carbon reduction initiatives.
Robert Frese, Managing Director at Elbdeich Reederei, stated: “We believe in methanol-capable vessels as part of a suite of solutions being deployed to reduce carbon emissions in our sector and are happy to contribute with this project to a greener future in shipping.
“We really look forward to operating these modern state-of-the-art container feeder vessels in our partnership with Unifeeder and hope other market participants will follow this example.”
In May 2022, DP World combined Unifeeder Shortsea with P&O Ferrymasters to offer an enhanced proposition to its European customers.
