Maersk secures fuel for first methanol container ship journey

Maersk said on Monday, June 12, that the company has secured fuel for the first container vessel able to run on carbon-neutral methanol.

The 21,500 km summer trip from Ulsan, South Korea to Copenhagen, Denmark will be fueled by bio-methanol. The fuel is produced from biogas captured from decomposing organic landfill waste.

Maersk is among several other major shipping companies that have ordered vessels that can burn methanol. This is as the shipping industry works toward net zero emissions by 2050.

“The green methanol market is still in its infancy. Frankly we did not expect to be able to secure a maiden voyage on green methanol for this vessel,” said Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition at Maersk.

Maersk has ordered 19 methanol-enabled ships. The company is trying to reach its goal of transporting 25% of ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030. The Danish shipping company aims to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Source: reuters