Inspenet, July 20, 2023.
The maritime industry celebrates a remarkable achievement: the first voyage of a new container ship powered by green methanol, an environmentally friendly fuel. This type of fuel, derived from methane obtained from food waste in landfills, contributes to a reduction of up to 70% in CO2 emissions, which represents an important step towards decarbonisation.
Maersk’s first voyage: A great achievement for the maritime industry.
The shipping company Maersk, one of the world’s leading companies in the sector, began the transition of its fleet to more sustainable fuels two years ago. To date, the company has commissioned a total of 25 vessels that will operate with green methanol.
The company has plans to retrofit its older ships to use methanol as a sustainable fuel. It also aims to transport around 25% of its maritime cargo with ecological fuels by the end of this decade, responding to the strictest regulations established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) at a global level.
The use of green methanol could reduce ship emissions by 65 to 70%. This sustainable methanol can be produced from vegetable gases, such as food waste, or through renewable energy and green hydrogen. The maritime industry is responsible for approximately one billion tons of CO2 emissions per year, almost equaling the emissions of the airline industry.
While green methanol is not a perfect solution and cannot completely eliminate emissions, shipping companies like Maersk understand the urgency of taking immediate action to decarbonise and meet the Paris climate goals. Although other technologies exist to reduce emissions, such as ammonia, liquid hydrogen and electrification, Maersk has turned to green methanol as a viable solution.
Methanol production: an urgent matter
Morten Bo Christiansen, in charge of decarbonisation at Maersk, stressed the urgency of tackling climate change. While the maritime industry seeks to reach net zero emissions by 2050, Maersk aims to achieve it ten years sooner. Five major shipping companies have already ordered similar vessels, and a further 120 ships are currently under development.
The next challenge is to increase production of green methanol and reduce costs, which are currently two to three times that of conventional fuel. Berlin-based C1 Green Chemicals presents a possible solution through its technology roadmap.
Although the additional costs may seem high, in relative terms, their impact may be minimal. For example, switching to a more sustainable fuel would only increase the cost of transporting a pair of sneakers across the ocean by five cents.
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