Two major operators of container ships, Denmark-based A.P. Moller-Maersk company Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd of Germany have signed an agreement for a new long-term operational collaboration to be known as ‘Gemini Cooperation’, scheduled to begin in February 2025.
The ambition is to deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network offering reliability and increased quality, benefiting from efficiency gains and joint efforts to further accelerate maritime decarbonisation.
Both companies are committed to the decarbonisation of their fleets and have set ambitious decarbonisation targets with Maersk aiming for net-zero in 2040 and Hapag-Lloyd in 2045. As a consequence of joining this cooperation, Hapag-Lloyd will leave THE Alliance end of January 2025. In January 2023, Maersk and MSC announced that the 2M alliance will end in January 2025. During 2024, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will carefully plan the transition from their current alliances to the new operational cooperation. Concurrently, service to customers will continue along existing agreements.
The new cooperation between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk will comprise a fleet pool of around 290 vessels with a combined capacity of 3.4 million TEU; Maersk will deploy 60% and Hapag-Lloyd 40%.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO Hapag-Lloyd said: “Teaming up with Maersk will help us to further boost the quality we deliver to our customers. Additionally, we will benefit from efficiency gains in our operations and joint efforts to further accelerate the decarbonisation of our industry.”
Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk said: “We are pleased to enter this cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd, which is the ideal ocean partner on our strategic journey. By entering this cooperation, we will be offering our customers a flexible ocean network that will be raising the bar for reliability in the industry. This will strengthen our integrated logistics offering and meet our customers’ needs.”
As a part of the Gemini Cooperation agreement, the two companies have set a target to deliver schedule reliability of above 90% once the network is fully phased in. Customers are additionally expected to benefit from improved transit times in many major port-to-port corridors and access to some of the world’s best connected ocean hubs.
Image: Maersk vessel at sea (Maersk press release)
