New Ultra-large Container Vessel Delivered to Hapag-Lloyd

German ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd announced it has taken delivery of a new ultra-large container vessel from South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.

The 399-meter-long, 23,660 TEU Hamburg Express is the seventh newbuild in a series of 12 "Hamburg Express" class containerships—the largest to ever sail under the German flag. The series' first vessel, Berlin Express, was delivered in 2023, and the remaining ships will be delivered through the end of 2025.

Each ship features MAN B&W11G95ME-C10.5-GI dual fuel main engines, which can be operated using both very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), as can the auxiliary engines and boilers. One full tank of LNG is sufficient for a complete Europe–Asia–Europe round trip. The engine can also run on non-fossil fuels, such as synthetic gas.

In addition, all vessels in the Hamburg Express class can connect to an environmentally friendly power supply onshore – the auxiliary diesel engines on board can be shut down in port.

The newly built Hamburg Express will be christened by First Lady Eva-Maria Tschentscher during an official ceremony in Hamburg on November 4.