Clean energy growth gives ammonia and methanol export trades the green light

The role of alternative fuels in powering the low-carbon economy will dramatically increase volumes of renewable ammonia, outstripping growing volumes of renewable methanol. In a new Foresight article*, Maritime Strategies International predicts that the next 25 years are likely to see ammonia trade transformed with clean ammonia providing new demand for close to 400 very

M2X and SCGC work together to streamline production of methanol

In Florida, M2X Energy, a startup company with process technology that converts stranded natural gas into low-carbon methanol, and SCG Chemicals (SCGC), a petrochemicals company that is committed to developing sustainable chemicals and clean energy solutions, have strengthened their existing relationship by announcing a joint development program to optimize key chemical transformations within M2X’s modular

Bahri takes two methanol tankers on charter

Saudi Arabia’s flagship carrier Bahri has penned a long-term deal with Swiss methanol producer and tanker owner Proman to charter in two of its methanol-powered ships. The company’s chemical arm has taken the Guangzhou Shipyard International 2023-built 49,900 dwt MRs Stena Provident and Stena Progressive on hire for five years. The vessels are the final

iO3 bags contract from Fratelli Cosulich to enhance safety for methanol bunkering

Fratelli Cosulich Group announced that they have awarded iO3 with a contract for gas detection (methanol) and heat signature detection (thermal) for their inaugural chemical bunker tanker able to carry methanol which will join the fleet in Q2 2024. The implementation of the project will begin in Q1 2024. iO3 will install a suite of

Celanese Corporation commences CCU project

Celanese Corporation, a global specialty materials and chemical company, announced it has begun running a carbon capture and utilization (CCU) project at its Clear Lake, Texas, site as part of its Fairway Methanol joint venture with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. The project is expected to capture 180,000 metric tons of CO2 industrial emissions and produce

Methanol overtakes LNG as alternative fuel of choice

Latest figures released by DNV from its Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, reveal an 8% increase in ships ordered or retrofitted with alternative fuel propulsion in 2023. DNV logged 138 projects for methanol, including retrofits, compared with 130 for LNG, all of which were for new ships. The almost four-fold increase in methanol-fuelled ships from

Maersk joins green methanol bunkering network in Japan

Maersk, the City of Yokohama, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of green methanol bunkering infrastructure at the Port of Yokohama, Japan. The bunkering facility will be located at APM Terminal’s Minami-Honmoku container terminal. This latest agreement aims to support Maersk’s growing fleet of 16,000-teu green

First methanol-fueled ultramax bulk carrier gets ABS approval in China

Lemissoler Navigation Ltd. and Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) received ABS approval in principle (AIP) for its design of a 65K DWT methanol-fueled ultramax bulk carrier, the first such methanol vessel for China’s shipbuilding industry. “ABS understands and is deeply involved in supporting clients with decarbonization solutions. Getting to net zero by

Limited sites worldwide offer methanol bunkering

For all the clamour surrounding methanol as shipping’s future fuel, there remains very limited sites worldwide with available bunkering for the in-vogue fuel. New research issued this week from Clarksons Research shows there are just 10 sites worldwide offering methanol bunkering, with another 11 under development. By contrast, for LNG, the other leading alternative fuel

Why shipping is opting for green hydrogen-based methanol?

Despite an upcoming crunch in available biogenic CO2 for e-methanol, extra costs for ammonia-fuelled vessels may swing the balance in the short term, says IEA report. Green ammonia and methanol — derived from renewable hydrogen — are widely expected to be used in the future to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the highly polluting shipping