Hapag-Lloyd has contracted Chinese shipbuilder CIMC Raffles to construct eight 4,500-TEU container vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029, in a deal worth more than $500 million.
The ships will be fitted with advanced dual-fuel methanol engines, delivering around 30 per cent higher efficiency than older vessels of similar size and capable of cutting up to 350,000 tonnes of CO2e annually when running on methanol.
The order marks Hapag-Lloyd’s first methanol-focused newbuild programme and further expands its alternative-fuel fleet strategy. The carrier already operates or has committed to 37 LNG-capable vessels able to run on biomethane.
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Alongside newbuilds, Hapag-Lloyd is progressing retrofit and fuel-supply projects: five 10,100-TEU ships will be converted to dual-fuel methanol in 2026–27, and its 2024 agreement with Goldwind will supply 250,000 tonnes of green methanol annually, cutting emissions by at least 70 per cent.
The company has also strengthened its sub-5,000-TEU segment with 14 long-term charters—four 1,800-TEU units, six 3,500-TEU units, and four 4,500-TEU units—arriving between 2027 and 2029. This brings its total investment in this class to 22 vessels.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, said: “Continuously modernising our fleet is firmly anchored in our Strategy 2030. The new ships will help replace older tonnage, further decarbonise the Hapag-Lloyd fleet, and reduce our dependence on the charter market. What’s more, operating these state-of-the-art ships will be much more cost-efficient.”
For more information:
Hapag-Lloyd – https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/en/home.html
