Hapag-Lloyd Takes Delivery of Last Ship in its New LNG Ultra Large Class

Hapag-Lloyd is reporting it has taken the delivery of the new Wilhelmshaven Express (229,350 dwt) container vessel the twelfth in its new ultra large Hamburg Express class and its first dual-fuel LNG class of vessels. Ordering the ships in 2020 and 2021, Hapag became one of the first in the industry to jump to the larger 24,000 TEU class of ultra large vessels.

The company highlighted that the class has 20 percent more capacity than its A 19 class of vessels increasing efficiency and operating costs. The vessels have a nominal capacity of 23,664 TEU with 1,500 reefer plugs. They are 1,309 feet (399 meters) in length with a hull design that was optimized to produce a three percent fuel savings. They also have high-efficiency propellers and onshore power capabilities.

The vessels are dual fuel with Hapag selecting the massive MAN B&W 11G95ME-GI engine, which the company says is so large it is housed in a five-deck high engine space. Everllence (formerly MAN Energy Solutions) highlights it is a highly efficient engine that uses 15 to 20 percent less fuel. The vessels are equipped with an LNG tank that holds 18,600 cubic meters or enough for a complete Europe-China-Europe round trip. In addition, there is another tank for 8,000 tons of low-sulfur fuel oil.

Massive MAN dual-fuel engine powering the Hamburg Express class (Hapag)

The order for the ships, which have become the largest containerships operating under the German flag, was placed in two tranches with the first batch of six ordered in December 2020 with Korean shipyard Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) (now Hanwha Ocean) with a reported valued of approximately $1 billion. The company expanded the order with six additional ships in June 2021.

“With their large capacity, forward-thinking design, and LNG dual-fuel engines, this series of vessels are set to greatly improve efficiency and are projected to reduce emissions by 20 to 25 percent in the near future,” said Hapag announcing the completion of the final delivery.

Delivery of the class began in June 2023 with the first ship Berlin Express. She has been followed by ships named Manila Express (2023), Hanoi Express (2023), Busan Express (2024), Singapore Express (2024), Damietta Express (2024), Hamburg Express (2024), Gdansk Express (2024), Bangkok Express (2025), Rotterdam Express (2025), Genova Express (2025), and Wilhelmshaven Express (2025). They are all currently deployed on the route between Asia and Northern Europe operating as part of the Gemini Cooperation launched with Maersk in February 2025.

Wind scoop added to the bow of the newer ships of the class (Hapag)

One noticeable difference with the newer ships of the class is they got a “nose job.” Hapag points to the “sleek red bow” of the new ships. They feature a large red oval at the prow in front of the container stacks. The design began appearing in the past few years on ships ranging from CMA CGM to Ocean Network Express (ONE) and others as a fuel-saving device. It is an enlarged wind scoop that improves the aerodynamics of the vessel while underway and creates fuel savings.

Wilhelmshaven Express is in Shanghai today, June 12, loading for her maiden voyage on the run to Europe. She joins a fleet that has now surpassed 300 vessels, the largest in the history of the company. Hapag continues to grow reporting last November that it had placed an order valued at an estimated $4 billion for 24 additional containerships to be built in China.