South Korean shipping group HMM has rolled out its first methanol-fueled container vessel, with eight more expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.

According to a release from the company, the HMM Green arrived in Busan, South Korea on March 26, measuring nearly 900 feet long, with a 9,000 twenty-foot-equivalent unit capacity. The ship will bunker bio-methanol at the Port of Shanghai, and will be deployed on HMM's Far East Asia, India and Mediterranean Sea service route.

HMM estimates that using bio-methanol as a fuel source can reduce its carbon emissions by as much as 65%, and cut nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional fuel. The company also has a goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, and currently operates a fleet of at least 12 LNG-fueled container ships. 

Seven of the methanol-fueled ships ordered by HMM will be built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), while the remaining two will come from HJ Shipbuilding & Construction. Competitor CMA CGM also released its first dual-fuel methanol vessel in early March, and expects to have 11 more arrive over the next two years, which will also be built by HSHI.