A year after shipping giant Maersk announced that it was ending its 2M Alliance, between itself and MSC, in 2025, a replacement collaboration has been outlined for the first time.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will have signed a new agreement and will collaborate together to help move over 3.4 million containers worldwide. The agreement is called the Gemini Cooperation and will take effect in February 2025, after the expiration of the 2M Alliance between Maersk and MSC.
Combined, the new agreement will see a large percentage of global shipping traffic moved via a combined 290 vessels. The goal of the two shipping giants is 90% schedule reliability, a arduous challenge, especially as of late with global supply chain disruptions. Another goal is more sustainability, by leveraging economies of scale and making operations more efficient – both for less waste and empty containers, and fewer trips requiring copious amounts of fuel.
Specifics of the Newly-Announced Deal
Of the 290 vessels implemented as part of the Gemini Cooperation, 60% will be Maersk vessels and 40% will be Hapag-Lloyd vessels.
Hapag-Lloyd, a key member of the existing THE Alliance shipping alliance, will depart that alliance in January 2025, next year. THE Alliance consists of Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express (ONE), YangMing and HMM.
Both shipping giants have shared goals. Maersk has pledged to implement zero-carbon shipping by 2040, and Hapag-Lloyd has said the same by 2045.
All in all, the new collaboration will see: 3.4 million TEUs handled by the Gemini Cooperation, 85 ports serviced, 32 shuttle services, and 26 mainline services, according to the official Maersk press release.
As of now, neither party has officially called the new collaboration an “alliance” as was the case in the past, but it essentially replaces THE Alliance and the 2M Alliance, which Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk were members of, respectively.
