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| HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun, right, poses inside the Laura Maersk with A.P. Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla, second from right, and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, third from left, during a naming ceremony for the world's first methanol-powered container ship in Copenhagen, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of A.P. Moller-Maersk |
By Park Jae-hyuk
HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun visited the Danish capital of Copenhagen recently, to participate in last Thursday's ceremony to name the world's first methanol-powered container ship as the Laura Maersk. It was built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, a subsidiary of HD Hyundai.
Chung's recent trip was taken amid accelerated efforts to cope with the growing demand for eco-friendly technology in the global shipbuilding and logistics industries.
According to HD Hyundai, the 2,100-TEU vessel is one of 19 methanol-powered ships that have been built by the Korean shipbuilding group, following A.P. Moller-Maersk's order for the eco-friendly vessels.
Maersk named the new ship after the Laura, the first steamship bought in 1886 by the company founder's father, Captain Peter Maersk Moller. Its slogan, "All the Way to Zero," was written on the bow and elsewhere, to show the company's commitment to achieving net zero by 2040.
After a two-month voyage of 21,500 kilometers from HD Hyundai's shipyard in Ulsan, the Laura Maersk arrived in Copenhagen last Wednesday, for Maersk to hold the naming ceremony at the Danish capital housing the shipping company's headquarters.
During the ceremony, Chung met with Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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| The Laura Maersk, the world's first methanol-powered container ship built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, sails the sea in this undated file photo. Courtesy of HD Hyundai |
A day before the ceremony, the HD Hyundai president held a separate meeting with the Maersk chairman to discuss cooperation for the future. Chung also visited MAN Energy Solutions' R&D facility in Copenhagen to check the two companies' joint development of ammonia-powered engines.
Earlier this month, the HD Hyundai president attended Gastech 2023 in Singapore to introduce his company's eco-friendly technologies to global buyers.
During the industry conference, he participated in the signing ceremonies regarding the orders for very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) from foreign clients, which enabled HD Hyundai to achieve its goal of winning $15.7 billion worth of shipbuilding orders by the end of this year.
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