One of the world’s top ocean carriers HMM has accelerated its efforts to become an eco-friendly shipping company, reducing carbon emissions to less than half of 2010 levels.
As HMM claims, the CO2 emissions generated when transporting 1TEU of container for 1km decreased from 68.7g in 2010 to 29.05g in 2021, representing a reduction of 57.7% over the last decade.
This result has been achieved amid a more than two-fold increase in fleet capacity, from 337,407 TEU to 755,209 TEU, in the same period.
The top management of HMM reported that the company “has constantly upgraded its fleet by securing energy-efficient mega-vessels. It also used premium antifouling paint and modified the bulbous bow’s shape to lessen the hull surface’s frictional resistance.” Additionally, HMM has improved its operational efficiency by optimizing service routes, speeds, and cargo stowage.
In particular, HMM formed a dedicated Task Force in 2015 for effective energy efficiency management and opened a Fleet Control Center in 2020, which analyzes real-time data about vessel operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
An HMM official said, “We will continue to engage in activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions based on data-driven analysis and enhance our environmental capability”.
As an environmental initiative, HMM has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions across its fleet by 2050. Last February, it signed newbuilding contracts for nine 9,000 TEU methanol-fueled containerships.
