Hapag-Lloyd to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10-13% with fleet upgrade

German container shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd plans to upgrade its existing fleet of more than 150 vessels with energy efficiency measures over the next five years.

PHOTO: Hapag-Lloyd's 15,000 TEU container vessel Afif. Hapag-Lloyd

Hapag-Lloyd has launched a major fleet upgrade program intended to lower fuel consumption and cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Under the program, the shipping firm aims to equip 86 vessels with more efficient propellers, and 36 vessels with flow-optimised bulbous bows.  

A bulbous bow is located at the front of a ship and help to reduce its water resistance and curb fuel consumption.

The retrofitting work is set to be carried out from 2025, and during dry dock the vessels' exterior hulls will be sprayed with a resistance-reducing coat of anti-fouling paint, which can reduce frictional resistance and increase fuel efficiency.

“We aim to be climate-neutral by 2045. To reach this goal, we have set ourselves the interim target of reducing the CO2 intensity of our own ships by 30 per cent already by 2030,” Hapag-Lloyd’s chief operating officer Maximilian Rothkopf said.