TRIESTE – Construction began on 4 February 2026 on the first 2,400-TEU dual-fuel methanol container ship for Italia Marittima, the Trieste-based company of the Evergreen Marine Corporation Group. The vessel, identified as H2562, is the first in a series of six units ordered from Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding on behalf of China State Shipbuilding Corporation. Construction is being carried out by Guangzhou Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding. The ship will be about 182.6 metres long, 32.2 metres wide and have a draught of 9 metres, with a service speed of 19 knots. The dual-fuel propulsion system will allow the use of both conventional fuels and methanol, paving the way for low- or potentially near-zero-carbon operations.
The project responds to increasingly stringent international and European environmental regulations and fits into Italia Marittima’s fleet renewal programme aimed at reducing the environmental impact of its activities. Delivery is scheduled for 2027 and the vessel will be deployed mainly on regional routes in the Mediterranean.
Representatives of Evergreen Marine Corporation, Italia Marittima and the Huangpu Wenchong shipyard attended the keel-laying ceremony, confirming the strategic value of the investment and the role methanol is expected to play in the decarbonisation of container shipping.
