Shipping companies including Maersk and mining giant Vale are turning to ethanol as a marine fuel to cut emissions as abundant supply and lower cost make it more attractive than other low-carbon
Shipping companies including Maersk and mining giant Vale are turning to ethanol as a marine fuel to cut emissions as abundant supply and lower cost make it more attractive than other low-carbon fuels, with further commercial usage expected as early as next year.
The use of ethanol in shipping could open a new demand channel for the fuel, which in some countries is blended into gasoline, while offering shipowners another pathway to cut conventional fuel use to meet emission reduction targets.
Renewed interest follows mounting pressure on the global shipping industry to manage oil price uncertainty as hostilities in the Middle East and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway, highlight the risks of conventional fuel supplies.
"Volatile fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-term case for fuel diversification," said Chris Chatterton, maritime adviser at the Global Centre for Green Fuels (GCGF).
"What is distinctive about ethanol in this environment is that it can be deployed incrementally - as a blend into methanol on existing methanol-ready vessels, with no major retrofit and no capital commitment to a single-fuel strategy."
The shipping industry has been testing alternatives to fuel oil including liquefied natural gas, ammonia, biodiesel and methanol.
ETHANOL TRIALS
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
