Evergreen and X-Press to Launch Methanol-Fueled Feeder Service

Taiwan's Evergreen Marine has reached an agreement with X-Press Feeders to acquire capacity on X-Press' new methanol dual-fuel boxships within the European market, where carbon emissions regulations are tighter than anywhere else. 

Evergreen is a key customer of X-Press, and the new deal will help underpin the new methanol-powered container service in Europe. In 2021, X-Press Feeders ordered 16 dual-fuel methanol boxships from New Dayang Shipbuilding and Ningbo Xinle Shipbuilding, following the lead set by Maersk. The world's first operating dual-fuel methanol boxship is also a feeder, the Laura Maersk, which will also operate in the European market. 

X-Press' dual-fuel methanol fleet will begin operation out of Rotterdam later this year, with Evergreen's support. The network will cover destinations in the Baltic and in Scandinavia. Ultimately the line will have 14 of the vessels operating in the region, including both northern Europe and the Mediterranean. 

The fuel will be bio-methanol supplied by OCI Global, and it will be certified to International Sustainability and Carbon Certification standards for green fuel. The feedstock for fuel production will come from decomposition of organic waste and residues, according to Evergreen. 

X-Press Feeders has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the IMO's current ambitions. 

“We are pioneering the use of dual-fuel vessels and we decided to take delivery of our vessels sooner, rather than later, because we know we need to take significant steps today to meet the targets for reductions in GHG emissions,” said Francis Goh, X-Press Feeders’ Chief Operating Officer.