Mitsubishi Gas and Maersk plan methanol bunkering in Japan

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (MGC) and Danish shipping major A.P. Moller-Maersk will explore methanol and bio-methanol bunkering at Japan’s Port of Yokohama.  

PHOTO: A.P. Moller-Maersk’s dual-fuelled methanol container vessel. A.P. Moller-Maersk

Japanese methanol producer MGC currently produces grey methanol at its Niigata Plant in Japan through natural gas synthesis. Starting next year, this same plant is expected to produce bio-methanol using unused biogas generated from Niigata Prefecture's sewage treatment plant as the feedstock.

“MGC is also studying the recycling of waste plastics into methanol through gasification and the production of methanol from CO2 emissions with various companies in Japan,” it claims.

MGC expects maritime demand for methanol to grow “significantly” in the coming years, given methanol’s zero-emission potential.

Grey methanol emits carbon dioxide (CO2) on combustion because of its fossil origin. Therefore, it cannot be considered a carbon-neutral fuel for shipping. In contrast, methanol variants produced from captured carbon and green hydrogen (e-methanol) or bio-feedstock (bio-methanol) emit virtually no CO2 on combustion and can be used as near-zero-emission bunker fuels to significantly reduce a vessel's carbon footprint.

MGC will look into possible options for supplying methanol and bio-methanol for bunkering methanol-fuelled vessels at the port of Yokohama. The partners have not yet specified a timeline for the project.

Maersk, meanwhile, currently has 25 methanol-fuelled container vessels on its order book. In addition, it will retrofit 11 vessels with dual-fuel methanol engines. It has also signed supply agreements with 11 methanol producers to source over 2.2 million mt/year of green methanol by 2025 for its upcoming fleet.

By Konica Bhatt

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