VESSEL REVIEW | Maersk Tokyo – Methanol dual-fuel containership deployed on Asia-Latin America routes
Japan Marine United (JMU) delivered the methanol dual-fuel container vessel Maersk Tokyo from its Kure Shipyard in Hiroshima Prefecture on June 23, 2026.
JMU said the vessel is the first methanol dual-fuel containership with a capacity above 8,000 TEUs to be built in Japan.
The vessel has registered capacity of 8,928 TEUs and can run on either methanol or conventional fuel oil.
Maersk Tokyo is registered to Southern Route Maritime and Japanese owner Nissen Kaiun. Danish container liner company Maersk operates the ship on its service linking Asia with the west coast of South America.
Retaining maximum capacity while accommodating a methanol propulsion setup
The Panama-registered newbuild has an LOA of 276.94 metres (908.6 feet), a moulded beam of 45.8 metres (150 feet), a moulded depth of 24.4 metres (80.1 feet), a draught of 15.5 metres (50.9 feet), a deadweight of 108,251, a gross tonnage of 85,294, and a crew of 30.
Fuel oil and freshwater tank capacities are 3,415 cubic metres (751,200 gallons) and 619 cubic metres (136,000 gallons), respectively.
JMU described the balance between fuel storage and box capacity as the key design challenge for a dual-fuel vessel.
Everllence said methanol has an energy density of 14.9 MJ/litre, against 35.7 MJ/litre for MGO. The manufacturer calculated that a methanol tank must be about 2.4 times the size of an MGO tank to be able to store the same energy.
Onboard layout ensuring bridge visibility during navigation
The ship has a two-island layout. The accommodation block sits forward, separate from the aft engine room, and the methanol fuel tanks occupy the space beneath it. JMU said this keeps hold capacity in line with a conventional fuel oil-burning vessel.
The forward bridge also helps the ship meet visibility requirements with larger on-deck stows.
Four-tier lashing bridges allow containers to be stacked up to 11 tiers high on deck. JMU said these features give the vessel container capacity comparable to or greater than that of a conventional ship.
JMU developed the hull form using hydrodynamic analysis, optimising it for the speeds and draughts at which the vessel is expected to operate most often. It fitted the yard's rudder, rudder fin and other energy-saving devices, together with a bow shape intended to reduce added resistance in waves.
Full suite of emissions-reducing features
Propulsion comes from a Mitsui-Everllence B&W 6G80ME-C10.5-LGIM-EGRTC six-cylinder, two-stroke engine rated 27,700 kW (37,100 hp) at 70.6 rpm. The engine drives a keyless propeller on a single 880mm shaft.
A permanent-magnet shaft generator uses main engine output to supply electrical power while the ship is underway.
The vessel also has six AC diesel generators. An Alternative Maritime Shore Power system allows the generators to be shut down during cargo operations while berthed.
JMU said the attained EEDI is more than 60 per cent below the IMO reference line, against the 40 per cent reduction required for the ship.
NOx Tier III compliance is achieved through exhaust gas recirculation on the main engine and selective catalytic reduction on generator one through four.
A SOx scrubber is also fitted as exhaust aftertreatment for the main engine and the generators.
The vessel is classed by ClassNK and holds the EA+ environmental notation. It also carries the DSS(EE2+Sn, MM, CNS, SM) digital notation, which covers machinery monitoring, connected ship functions and shore monitoring.
APM Terminals Callao said Maersk Tokyo made her first call in Peru in August 2026. The terminal listed refrigerated and agro-industrial exports among the cargoes the ship serves.