Hapag-Lloyd wins ZEMBA's second tender for pioneering e-fuel deployment

16 December 2025


• Second consecutive win after securing ZEMBA's inaugural tender in 2024
• ZEMBA members commit to at least 120,000 metric tonnes of CO₂e abatement
• Hapag-Lloyd to deploy e-methanol on a trans-oceanic lane

Today, the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) announced that Hapag-Lloyd is a winner of its second tender for ocean shipping using hydrogen-derived e-methanol. Through this agreement, ZEMBA members have committed to collectively abate at least 120,000 metric tons of CO₂e over a minimum of three years - with Hapag-Lloyd contributing the lion's share of these volumes.

Beginning in 2027, Hapag-Lloyd will deploy e-methanol on a trans-oceanic lane on large methanol dual-fuel containerships. The e-methanol will be made with very low-carbon hydrogen produced with renewable energy and will deliver a carbon intensity reduction of at least 90% on a lifecycle basis relative to conventional high emission fuel.


Image by Hapag-Lloyd.

The ZEMBA is a non-profit buyer's group within the maritime sector, currently comprising over 45 members, including international heavyweights like Amazon, IKEA, and Nike. It aims to accelerate commercial zero-emission shipping, enable economies of scale, and help cargo owners maximize emissions reduction potential beyond what any one buyer could accomplish alone.

"At a time when sourcing scalable e-fuels remains a major challenge for the entire industry, winning the second ZEMBA tender is a significant milestone for us. Deploying e-methanol is an essential step in our journey to reach net-zero fleet operations by 2045. We are very grateful for the trust that all ZEMBA members have placed in our capabilities, and we remain fully committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to a greener future for global shipping," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

"We applaud Hapag-Lloyd for their leadership and technical innovation in response to ZEMBA's pioneering market signal," said Ingrid Irigoyen, President and CEO of ZEMBA "Through collaboration across the maritime value chain, this partnership will enable rapid on-the-water deployment of vastly scalable, next-generation maritime fuels."

Following Hapag-Lloyd's successful win of ZEMBA's inaugural 2024 tender for biomethane this second award marks the next step toward scaling zero- and near-zero-emission fuels. Here you can download the Press Release as PDF (230.7 KB, 2 Pages)

About Hapag-Lloyd
With a fleet of 305 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world's leading liner shipping companies. In the Liner Shipping segment, the Company has around 14,000 employees and 400 offices in 140 countries. Hapag-Lloyd has a container capacity of 3.8 million TEU - including one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers. A total of 130 liner services worldwide ensure fast and reliable connections between more than 600 ports on all the continents. In the Terminal & Infrastructure segment, Hapag-Lloyd has equity stakes in 21 terminals in Europe, Latin America, the United States, India and North Africa. Around 3,000 employees are assigned to the Terminal & Infrastructure segment and provide complementary logistics services at selected locations in addition to the terminal activities.

Hapag-Lloyd press release