Fuel/Energy Type: Methanol

Maersk has celebrated the naming of its latest dual-fuel methanol container vessel “Alexandra Maersk”. UK’s Maritime Minister Mike Kane, representatives of the IMO, customers and Maersk employees joined the festive event at the Port of Felixstowe, UK. Elaine Condon, Director of People & Culture at Primark, is the godmother of the ship, representing the close logistics and sustainability partnership between Maersk and its customer Primark.

DNV has released a competence standard (ST) for methanol and a recommended practice (RP) for ammonia, to enable crew and shipowners to tackle the safety risks and challenges posed by the introduction of new alternative fuels and technologies through shipping’s decarbonization.

Japanese demand for methanol as an alternative marine fuel is expected to increase, especially after 2027, but it is likely it will mainly be used as a transition fuel before the commercial launch of ammonia- and hydrogen-fuelled vessels.

Worldwide, policy-makers and industry leaders are ramping up the decarbonization of “hard-to-abate” sectors such as shipping and the chemical industry.

The shipping industry is on a mission to become climate-neutral by 2050. For an industry that burns hundreds of millions of tonnes of oil-equivalent fossil fuel per year, this isn’t a simple process.

The orderbook for methanol powered vessels has increased significantly in recent years becoming a serious part of the alternative fuels mix, although availability of green methanol remains a concern

Start-up ICODOS has built a plant that purifies biogas produced at a sewage treatment plant and turns it into climate-neutral methanol for ships using green hydrogen. The plant was opened on 24 March and is located at the Mannheim sewage treatment plant in Germany.

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced the acquisition of Korea’s first methanol-powered container ship, “HMM Green,” on March 25. This 9,000 TEU vessel is part of HMM’s ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, reflecting broader industry trends and national priorities in South Korea.