The Week in Alternative Fuels

Here are some of the key developments in alternative bunker fuels from the past week.

PHOTO: Model of an ammonia bunker vessel. PaxOcean

Several shipping firms have shown interest in adopting technologies and solutions to convert their existing fleet of conventional fuel-powered vessels to low and zero emission vessels.

Rotterdam-based marine transportation service provider Future Proof Shipping (FPS) plans to replace the diesel engine in one of its inland container vessels with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. FPS expects the retrofitting to be completed by next year.

Also hitting the headlines this week, Dutch renewable energy firm European Energy secured supplies of 60,000 mt/year of liquified biogenic carbon dioxide from Canadian renewable energy firm Anaergia. Biogenic carbon dioxide is needed to produce e-methanol in its facility in Tønder, Denmark.

The sourcing of biogenic carbon dioxide will provide a big boost to European Energy, as the firm is one of Maersk’s methanol suppliers. European Energy intends to supply e-methanol for Maersk’s first methanol vessel which is scheduled to be deployed next year.

Maersk announced that it has added seventh green methanol supplier to support its first 12 methanol container vessels that it has ordered. The shipping firm intends to procure 200,000 mt/year of green methanol produced by Chinese bioenergy firm Debo by 2024.

Biofuel hit the headline again this week, Dutch biofuel supplier GoodFuels supplied a bio-VLSFO stem to a bulk carrier operated by Japanese shipping firm NYK Line in Singapore.

Singapore-based shipbuilder PaxOcean Engineering and bunker vessel operator Hong Lam Marine have joined hands to design an ammonia bunkering vessel. The duo aims to operate low- and zero emission vessels by 2027.

Here are the top five stories in alternative fuels this week:

Future Proof Shipping to retrofit vessel with hydrogen propulsion system

A containership operated by Rotterdam-based marine transportation service provider Future Proof Shipping (FPS) is to be retrofitted with hydrogen fuel cell propulsion at Holland Shipyard Group (HSG).

The containership FPS Maas completed its last voyage running on diesel before heading to the HSG facility in Werkendam for retrofit this week.

FPS Maas' diesel engine is to be replaced with a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. The system will be installed in the cargo space of the vessel and the fuel cell system is expected to have 825 kW capacity and can generate propulsion and auxiliary power.

The retrofitting is expected to be completed by next year, FPS said.

This project is supported by a stimulation scheme for sustainable inland shipping from the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have recently agreed to set up the world’s longest green shipping corridor.

European Energy secures biogenic carbon for methanol productio

Dutch renewable energy firm European Energy will be supplying e-methanol for Maersk’s first methanol vessel which is scheduled to be deployed next year.

Canadian renewable energy firm Anaergia will supply 60,000 mt/year of liquified biogenic carbon dioxide for the next 10 years to European Energy’s e-methanol plant in Tønder, Denmark.

The biogenic carbon dioxide is captured during the decomposition of organic matter such as food waste, Anaergia said.

European Energy plans to have a capacity to produce between 200,000-300,000 mt of e-methanol by 2025.

Maersk adds seventh green methanol supplier to support its fleet

Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk has entered strategic partnership with Chinese bioenergy firm Debo to procure 200,000 mt/year of green methanol by 2024.

Debo plans to develop bio-methanol plant for Maersk in China with a capacity to produce 200,000 mt/year of green methanol using agricultural residues.

Maersk intends to offtake the full volumes produced by Debo to support its first 12 methanol container vessels that it has currently ordered.

Earlier this year, Maersk announced that it has engaged with six methanol suppliers to source at least 730,000 mt/year of green methanol by end of 2025

The other six companies are European Energy, CIMC ENRIC, Green Technology Bank, Orsted, Proman and WasteFuel.

Dutch renewable energy firm European Energy will be supplying e-methanol for Maersk’s first methanol vessel which is scheduled to be deployed next year.

GoodFuels supplies bio-VLSFO stem in Singapore

A biofuel-blended VLSFO stem was delivered by Dutch biofuel supplier GoodFuels to a bulk carrier MV Frontier operated by Japanese shipping company NYK Line in Singapore.

MV Frontier was in the middle of a voyage from Australia and India and the bio-VLSFO stem was delivered during its port call in Singapore last month.

The delivery was managed by GoodFuels and Japanese trading firm ITOCHU and a licensed bunker supplier in Singapore.

GoodFuels has partnered with Japanese trading firm Itochu Corporation to develop a biofuel supply chain across Singapore, Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

Under the partnership, ITOCHU manages logistics, blending and distribution of biofuel blend and GoodFuels is responsible for sourcing, technical expertise and sales.

NYK is part of a biofuel pilot project launched by the Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and other 18 industry partners. It involves 12 vessels that will bunker B30 biofuel blends in Singapore, Rotterdam and Houston.

Hong Lam Marine, PaxOcean to develop design for ammonia bunkering vessel

Classification society Bureau Veritas will verify compliance of the design with rules pertaining to the handling of ammonia as bunker fuel.

Singapore-based shipbuilder PaxOcean Engineering will focus on developing the design, while bunker vessel operator Hong Lam Marine will provide operational data and check viability of the design for commercial operations.

Ammonia has great potential to help reduce carbon emissions from the shipping industry, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore South Asia vice president David Barrow said.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has welcomed this development as the project is expected to support the port’s maritime decarbonization goals.

MPA and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have agreed to set up the world’s longest green shipping corridor. The duo aims to have ships powered by low- and zero-carbon fuels sailing in the corridor by 2027.