Maersk taps Chinese yard for 8+4 LNG dual-fuel boxships

Danish shipping and logistics titan A.P. Moller – Maerskhas placed an order for at least eight dual-fuel container vessels powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) at China’s New Times Shipbuilding (NTS).

According to data from Greek shipbroker Intermodal, the order includes an option for four additional units. Maersk will reportedly cash out $193 million for each of the 18,000 TEU containerships.

As informed, once completed, the LNG-fueled vessels are planned to be handed over to Maersk in 2028 and 2029.

Given their dual-fuel specifications and the capability to run on liquefied natural gas, the boxships are expected to accomplish tremendous reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as other harmful pollutant emissions. As such, the units are anticipated to be an important piece of Maersk’s sustainability puzzle, which envisions carbon-neutral operations by 2040.

A May 2025 analysis done by industry coalition SEA-LNG also indicated that ships with LNG dual-fuel capabilities offer shipowners a commercial advantage, that is, a shorter payback period via fuel optionality and access to widely established infrastructure compared to other alternative energy sources like methanol, ammonia or very low