A European consortium of maritime research and technology leaders launched the Fastwater project to demonstrate the feasibility of retrofit and newbuild vessels to operate on methanol as a pathway to fossil-free shipping.
Japanese shipping major Mitsui O.S.K. Lines partnered with Northwest Innovation Works, Kalama, to provide generation ships to serve the planned methanol facility at the Port of Kalama in southwest Washington, USA.
A consortium of seven major industry players collaborated for the construction of a ‘power-to-methanol’ demonstration plant at the Port of Antwerp.
Exactly five years have passed, since the methanol fuelled ferry “Stena Germanica” first set sail. In fact, the vessel was a joint venture effort among Methanex Corporation, Stena Line, and Wärtsilä as it was the world’s first ferry using methanol as a marine fuel.
A consortium led by Swedish Carbon Energy Company Liquid Wind will work on the Power-to-Fuel project, eyeing production of liquid, carbon neutral fuel from captured carbon dioxide (CCU) and green hydrogen (from renewable electricity).
Within the Green Maritime Methanol project a new milestone has been achieved, with the successful start of the engine test programme on 100% methanol. New tests are being planned and two important new partners have joined the consortium recently.
IMO has developed an ambitious target to achieve a minimum of 50% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. However, to keep in line with this target, shipping industry must trust alternative fuels, that will lead it into the decarbonized future.
Arklow Shipping and DEME are the newest to be added in the Green Maritime Methanol consortium, aiming to review the possibilities for renewable Methanol, to be used as a maritime transport fuel. The results and information that will be concluded from the work packages will be provided to a number of methanol-based ship designs, and their technical, economic and logistical feasibility will be evaluated.
A leading shipbroker remarked to a recent conference panel session that for more shipowners to commit to LNG as fuel required much more support from the energy majors whose cargoes they might carry. In fact, Mr Christopher D. Chatterton, Chief Operating Officer of the Methanol Institute states that the majors have already come out in support of LNG as fuel.
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Group), the Japanese shipping company, has announced the delivery of a methanol carrier, Takaroa Sun, equipped with a two-stroke dual-fuel engine technology that enables the vessel to be powered by methanol.
