Gemini Cooperation will deploy up to 340 vessels when the new shipping alliance between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd takes effect in February 2025.

In an update, the shipping partners said since they unveiled the new long-term collaboration in January 2024, they have been working on finalising the details of the operational collaboration which covers a joint ocean freight network on East-West trades.

"With around five months to launch, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are now ready to share an update covering finalised service maps and how the network has evolved since the announcement in January 2024," the partners said.

"The companies are also presenting an alternative Cape of Good Hope network due to the ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea," Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd added.

Joining forces will enable Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk to provide more frequent and flexible services, enhancing their operational efficiency and reliability.

"Reliability, connectivity and sustainability are the keywords in the networks we are presenting today, and we are pleased that we now can give our customers full transparency about how we will deliver a best-in-class ocean network so they can begin planning despite a highly dynamic situation," said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd.

 [Source: Maersk]

The Gemini Cooperation will announce in October which network it expects to put to sea in February 2025—its original plan, which relies on the Red Sea and Suez, or its alternative plan of sailing around Africa with a larger fleet should attacks in the Red Sea by Iran-aligned Houthi militants persist.

"We are looking forward to the launch of our completely redesigned network next year, and we are happy to reconfirm that our schedule reliability target remains unchanged, irrespective of which network we will phase in," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk. 

"We believe our collaboration will raise the bar for reliability to the benefit of our customers and set a new and very high standard in the industry," he added.

The companies noted that depending on which network the cooperation will phase in, the new network consists of either 27 or 29 efficient ocean mainliner services supported by a network of 30 intraregional shuttle services.

The collaboration will comprise either 300 or 340 vessels.

Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk are targeting to deliver schedule reliability of above 90% once the network is fully phased in, with Maersk providing 60% of the vessels and Hapag-Lloyd 40%.

The companies are seeking to transport a combined 3.4 million containers annually with a fleet of 290 vessels or a combined 3.7 million containers with 340 vessels should Res Sea disruptions continue.

"The ambition is to deliver a flexible and interconnected ocean network with industry-leading schedule reliability above 90% once fully phased in," Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd said.