Hapag-Lloyd has officially christened the last vessel in its Hamburg Express class, the Wilhelmshaven Express, at a ceremony held on October 28, 2025, at the Jade Weser Port in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. This marks the completion of the company’s ambitious series of ultra-large container ships designed for efficiency and sustainability.
The Wilhelmshaven Express is the twelfth ship in the series, with a capacity of 23,660 TEU. It is powered by advanced dual-fuel engines capable of running on both LNG and biomethane. The ship is deployed on the Gemini Cooperation NE1 service, linking Asia with Northern Europe.
Measuring 399 meters in length with a beam of 61 meters, the Hamburg Express class has represented one of Hapag-Lloyd’s largest fleet investments, totaling approximately $2 billion. Each vessel in the class is designed to cut CO₂ emissions by around 25% relative to traditional ships.
Now Hapag-Lloyd plans its next major newbuild program, which will deliver 24 additional vessels between 2027 and 2029. Half of these ships will have a capacity of 16,800 TEU, while the remaining half will carry 9,200 TEU. All future vessels will feature low-emission, high-pressure dual-fuel engines with the option to operate on biomethane.
