The 172 m long container ship of 2,136 TEUs capacity got the name Laura Maersk from her godmother Ursula von der Leyen, the EU Commission President, in Copenhagen.

The feeder is the first in an overall 25-big order of container carriers able to run on methanol, the last of which will be delivered in 2027.

Laura Maersk and the others will help Maersk reach its 2040 zero greenhouse gas emission target. The company plans to transport at least a quarter of its ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030.

Maersk has also invested in e-methanol production capacity in Spain, some 2.0mt/year.

Laura Maersk serves the Rotterdam-London-Felixstowe-Gothenburg-Aarhus rotation.

"Laura is a proud Maersk name deeply rooted in some of the company's very early innovative landmarks. When Captain Peter Mærsk Møller bought his first steamship in 1886, he named her Laura. With its steam engine, Laura was a product of the Second Industrial Revolution, making its impact on the shipping industry significant," Maersk shared in a press release.

The carrier also noted, "Furthermore, Laura was the first vessel to wear the white seven-pointed star on a light blue background. This symbol later would become the logo of A.P. Møller - Mærsk."

Vincent Clerc, Maersk's CEO, commented on the name-giving occasion, "Laura Maersk is a historic milestone for shipping across the globe. It shows the entrepreneurial spirit that has characterized Maersk since the founding of the company. However, more importantly, this vessel is a very real proof point that when we as an industry unite through determined efforts and partnerships, a tangible and optimistic path toward a sustainable future emerges. This new green vessel is the breakthrough we needed, but we still have a long way to go before we make it all the way to zero."

Photo: Maersk