Maersk announced the signing of an agreement for a new long-term operational collaboration called Gemini Cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd.
Together the companies aim to develop a new best-in-class network starting in February 2025.
This new network will be implemented from 01 February 2025. It will comprise a fleet pool of around 290 vessels with a combined capacity of 3.4 million containers (TEU); Maersk will deploy 60 percent and Hapag-Lloyd 40 percent.
As part of the agreement, the network has set the ambitious target of delivering schedule reliability of above 90%, once the network is fully phased in. Improved service quality and improved transit times in many major port-to-port corridors as well as access to some of the world’s best connected ocean hubs, are some of the main things our customers can look forward to.
The cooperation will cover 7 trades: Asia / North Europe, Asia / Mediterranean, Middle East – India / Europe, Asia / Middle East, Asia / US East Coast, Asia / US West Coast and Transatlantic and comprise of 26 mainline services. The mainline ocean services will be complemented by a global network of dedicated shuttles centred around owned and controlled transhipment hubs. These shuttle services will be spread as: 14 shuttle services in Europe, 4 in the Middle East, 13 in Asia and 1 in the Gulf of Mexico. These shuttle services will offer a fast connection with flexible capacity between hubs and ports served by shuttle services, and vice versa.
Both companies are committed to the decarbonisation of their fleets and have set the most ambitious decarbonisation targets in the industry 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. From now until January 2025, 2M continues to be a highly reliable network on the East West trades.