The Hamburg-based energy company Mabanaft has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German-based cruise operator TUI Cruises for future green methanol supply.
The Mabanaft and TUI Cruises green methanol supply cooperation will start with a methanol delivery for the “Mein Schiff 7” cruise ship newbuilding.
With the commissioning of Mein Schiff 7 in 2024, TUI Cruises is taking into operation a cruise ship that can also run on methanol, or green methanol in perspective.
As part of the agreement Mabanaft informs that it is set to cover TUI Cruises’ methanol needs in Northern Germany, and potentially in other European ports in the future.
Mabanaft and TUI Cruises want with this MoU to contribute making the cruise industry more climate friendly, and over the next few years TUI Cruises intends to add further dual-fuel methanol-ready cruise ships to its fleet in Germany.
Volker Ebeling, senior vice president new energy, supply & infrastructure at Mabanaft, said: “Green methanol is expected to play an immediate role in the decarbonisation of shipping – methanol dual-fuel-engines are readily available and existing fuelling infrastructure can be re-purposed to deliver methanol to our customers.
“From biofuels, to hydrogen, ammonia and methanol – we want to make all these transition options available to the shipping industry. For us, this agreement with TUI Cruises is an important step towards providing an integrated methanol fuel solution.”
Wybcke Meier, chief executive of TUI Cruises, pointed out that “Climate-neutral cruises are a question of the appropriate technologies and long-term strategies. We have both.
“On the one hand, we are continuously equipping our fleets with innovative propulsion systems, on the other hand, we are securing their supply of alternative fuels, through cooperation with partners such as Mabanaft. This is how we will achieve our goals.”
