Hapag-Lloyd Welcomes ‘Berlin Express’ as First Ship of Its New Climate-Friendly Hamburg Express Class

Hapag-Lloyd Welcomes ‘Berlin Express’ as First Ship of Its New Climate-Friendly Hamburg Express Class

(IN BRIEF) Hapag-Lloyd has officially introduced the “Berlin Express,” the inaugural vessel of its Hamburg Express class, into its fleet. This class represents a significant milestone in the company’s efforts to reduce emissions and achieve climate-neutral shipping by 2045. A total of twelve large container ships featuring cutting-edge dual-fuel technology will be deployed by 2025. These ships are capable of operating on non-fossil fuels like bio-methane and e-methane, resulting in minimal CO2 emissions. Initially, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be used, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 25% and soot emissions by 95%. Advanced components, including an optimized hull and efficient propeller, will further enhance fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The “Berlin Express,” constructed in South Korea, is the largest cargo ship ever to sail under the German flag, with a length of nearly 400 meters and a capacity of 23,600 TEU. These vessels will primarily serve the cargo-intensive Far East route between Asia and Europe, supporting Germany’s role as a shipping hub.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, 3-Oct-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Hapag-Lloyd officially welcomed into its fleet the “Berlin Express”, the first ship of its new Hamburg Express class. At an event attended by some 300 guests from business and politics, naming patron Elke Büdenbender performed the ceremonial christening of the ship at the Container Terminal Burchardkai (Athabaskakai) in the Port of Hamburg. Among the guests were Peter Tschentscher, the First Mayor of Hamburg, and Daniel Günther, the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein.

The Hamburg Express class will mark the beginning of a new era for Hapag-Lloyd and its fleet. In total, a dozen state-of-the-art large container ships will be put into service by 2025. Together, these vessels will make an important contribution to Hapag-Lloyd’s efforts to operate its entire fleet in a climate-neutral manner by 2045. Thanks to their cutting-edge dual-fuel technology, they will also be able to operate using non-fossil fuels, such as bio-methane and e-methane, and thereby generate hardly any CO2 emissions.

For the time being, liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be used, which will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 25 percent and soot emissions by 95 percent. In addition, advanced components – such as an optimised hull and a highly efficient propeller – will help the vessels to reduce fuel consumption and thereby greenhouse gas emissions.

“With the new Hamburg Express class, Hapag-Lloyd is at a turning point”, Habben Jansen says. “The highly efficient ships will allow us to reduce our emissions immediately and to a very significant degree. At the same time, they are an important building block in our strategy to gradually push ahead with decarbonisation. All the vessels in this class will sail under German flag and thereby make an important contribution to strengthening Germany as a shipping hub.”

The “Berlin Express” was built at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea. With a length of almost 400 metres and a capacity of 23,600 TEU, it is the largest cargo ship ever to sail under German flag. The container ships in the Hamburg Express class will exclusively operate on the cargo-intensive Far East route between Asia and Europe. The “Berlin Express” will operate regularly on the FE3 service, which sails between Ningbo and Hamburg, via Xiamen, Kaohsiung, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore and Rotterdam.

About Hapag-Lloyd
With a fleet of 258 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 1.9 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. The Company has around 14,000 employees and 400 offices in 135 countries. Hapag-Lloyd has a container capacity of 2.9 million TEU – including one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers. A total of 115 liner services worldwide ensure fast and reliable connections between more than 600 ports on all the continents. Hapag-Lloyd is one of the leading operators in the Transatlantic, Middle East, Latin America and Intra-America trades.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such statements are based on a number of assumptions, estimates, projections or plans that are inherently subject to significant risks, uncertainties and contingencies. Actual results can differ materially from those anticipated in the Company’s forward-looking statements.

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SOURCE: Hapag-Lloyd AG