German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced the completion of a three-year construction program for the Hamburg Express series of container ships, comprising 12 vessels with a capacity of 23,660 TEU. Each vessel is equipped with modern dual-fuel engines running on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biomethane, which will reduce CO₂ emissions on its Asia-Europe service by up to 25%.
The $2 billion project, completed at the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in South Korea, represents Hapag-Lloyd’s largest fleet renewal investment in the company’s history. The 399-meter-long container ships will strengthen the carrier’s position on international routes and improve the environmental efficiency of its shipping operations.
Following the completion of this program, Hapag-Lloyd plans to begin construction on 24 more container ships: 12 with a capacity of 16,800 TEU and 12 with a capacity of 9,200 TEU. All new vessels will also be equipped with dual-fuel engines running on LNG and biomethane, and are scheduled to enter service in 2027–2029.
