28 February 2023 (Lloyd's List) - MITSUI OSK Lines said a dual-fuel vessel has successfully completed the first-ever net zero voyage fuelled by bio-methanol.
Cajun Sun, chartered by Waterfront Shipping, a subsidiary of Canadian methanol supplier and distributor Methanex, departed from Geismar, in the US, on January 17 and arrived in Antwerp, Belgium, on February 4.
The 18-day trans-Atlantic voyage emitted net zero greenhouse gas emission on a life-cycle basis, by blending ISCC-certified bio-methanol that has negative carbon intensity with natural gas-based methanol.
The voyage demonstrates the viability of methanol as a marine fuel with a pathway to net zero emissions, the two companies said in a statement.
“We’re proud to bring the marine industry a tangible solution to transition towards net zero emissions through our blended methanol product using bio-methanol produced from renewable natural gas at our facility in Geismar” said Methanex senior vice-president for low-carbon solutions Mark Allard.
The use of methanol, which can be readily adopted today, is a “very promising” alternative fuel, said MOL executive officer Kazuhiro Takahashi. “We are also contributing to various stages of supply chain through the development and usage of alternative fuels in the global shipping industry.”
Methanex, Waterfront Shipping and MOL, together with other key partners, jointly built the world’s first ocean-going methanol dual-fuel tanker Taranaki Sun in 2016.
