ABS joins Pacific Carriers and PaxOcean on methanol bunker fuel study

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Singapore-based shipping majors Pacific Carriers (PCL) and PaxOcean have teamed up to assess the potential of methanol as a bunker fuel on PCL's fleet.

PHOTO: Pacific Carriers' 37,775-dwt dry bulker Glorius Mahuta. Pacific Carriers

Maritime classification society ABS will study the operational implications of retrofitting methanol-powered propulsion systems onto PCL's vessels.

ABS’ chief operating officer John McDonald calls methanol a “promising fuel” with advantages like “ease of storage and handling, tank-to-wake carbon intensity reduction” compared to other alternative fuels.

There are two types of renewable methanol: bio-methanol and e-methanol. Bio-methanol is produced from sustainable biomass, which can be derived from agricultural waste, plant waste, food waste, or manure. e-methanol, or synthetic methanol, is produced from carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from renewable sources like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) or direct air capture (DAC).

Both types of methanol can be carbon-neutral and have almost zero emissions of nitrous and sulphur oxides and particulates.

PCL’s chief executive Hor Weng Yew believes that methanol has "great potential to significantly reduce the company’s carbon footprint in the short to mid-term” while PaxOcean’s chief executive Tan Thai Yong believes that methanol as an alternative fuel can contribute to Singapore's decarbonisation push.

By Konica Bhatt

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