Dutch producer OCI Global seals a deal with Danish shipping major A.P. Moller – Maersk on the delivery of green1 bio-methanol for the world’s first methanol-enabled container vessel.
OCI will provide green methanol, which is certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC), to power the maiden voyage of the container vessel.
The vessel leaves from Ulsan, South Korea in a 21,500 km trip for its maiden voyage sailing to Copenhagen, in Denmark and this 2,100 teu methanol-enabled feeder vessel of Maersk is considered as an important step as the company prepares to receive a fleet of new, large ocean-going methanol-enabled ships from 2024.
OCI produces its green methanol at a US-based facility by using captured biogas from decomposing organic waste in landfills. The biogas is upgraded to biomethane and injected into the gas grid and the methanol is produced from the biomethane in the grid on a mass-balance basis. This way, green methanol can be produced in existing facilities using existing infrastructure and plants enabling a quick production.
Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition, A.P. Moller – Maersk said: “The green methanol market is still in its infancy and frankly we had not expected to be able to secure a maiden voyage on green methanol for this vessel. So, we are very proud to have achieved this significant milestone. We expect a diverse green fuel mix for the future, with green bio-methanol from biomass waste being available now.”
Maersk targets net zero greenhouse gas emissions by latest 2040. The company aims to transport a minimum of 25% of Ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030, compared to a 2020 baseline. The 2,100 teu methanol-enabled feeder vessel is an important step toward the long-term objective of Maersk to gradually renew its entire fleet to operate solely on green fuels.
