Barcelona Maersk delivery completes methanol-capable B-class

The 17,480-teu dual-fuel Barcelona Maersk has been delivered, completing Maersk's six-ship methanol-capable B-class built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. The post-Suezmax vessel, 350 m long and 56 m in beam and sailing under the Danish flag, was named in Ulsan on 12 January; the first of the series was the Berlin Maersk.

The B-class are the largest containerships able to run on methanol, following the earlier A-class. Maersk's methanol fleet now comprises 12 vessels of 16,000 teu, six of 17,480 teu and one retrofitted 15,690-teu ship, plus the 2,100-teu feeder Laura Maersk, now used for ethanol trials. A further six 9,000-teu methanol-capable vessels are due from Yangzijiang by 2027, taking the total to 26.

The programme supports Maersk's target of net-zero emissions by 2040 and a principle of only ordering newbuildings that can run on green fuels.

Source: Maersk (via Maasmond Maritime press clippings).