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Greece: Methanol Institute hosts methanol as marine fuel seminar

More than 70 delegates heard from stakeholders on the benefits of methanol as a marine fuel at Athens.
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Leading figures from the Greek shipping market gathered in Athens, Greece for the third in a series of global seminars designed to educate the industry on the potential of methanol as a marine fuel, says the Methanol Institute.

The seminar held in late May, organised by consultancy Sea Commerce and supported by the Methanol Institute, Methanex and FEDCOM, brought together more than 70 delegates to hear from stakeholders leading in the use of Methanol as a marine fuel, including Waterfront Shipping Company, Marinvest Shipping, The Methanol Institute and MAN Energy Solutions.

The speakers discussed the use of Methanol as fuel from the point of view of ship design and construction, management and operations, propulsion and regulatory issues, drawing on direct experience and expert insight.

Seminar series organiser Capt Saleem Alavi, President of Sea Commerce, reinforced the advantages compared to LNG, which is being heavily marketed as a long term solution.

“Methanol is similar to existing liquid marine fuels and is much easier to handle than LNG, as existing fuel tanks can be used, while the cost of conversion to Methanol is 25% of an LNG conversion. Beyond cost savings, Methanol is the only 2020-compliant fuel capable of intrinsically achieving NOx Tier III compliance by use of water in fuel technology. In the near term, bio-methanol has near zero CO2 footprint, hence it is capable of addressing the forthcoming IMO CO2 reduction regulations.”

Paul Hexter, President of Waterfront Shipping, a wholly owned subsidiary of Methanex, explained that Methanol could be cost-competitive and delivered value beyond a simple bunker cost equivalent.

“On an energy equivalent basis, Methanol is cost competitive over the cycle compared to conventional low sulphur fuels such as MGO. Going forward, we see significant value creation opportunities of a methanol flex fuel engine, with efficiency gains mitigating expected increases in the price of conventional ultra-low sulphur fuels and the potential to eliminate selective catalytic reduction. These benefits make methanol a viable clean fuel option for the marine industry and part of the solution to help meet future emissions regulations.”

Peter Hinchliffe, Consultant to the Methanol Institute provided a perspective on the development of regulations governing the use of Methanol, in the revision of the IGF Code by IMO.

“We are in a confidence-building stage at the moment where we can see a clear trajectory through sulphur regulations to the IMO strategy on GHG reduction and shipowners need to see this as a continuum; a knee jerk reaction to first sulphur and then to CO2 reduction will not be cost-effective. Methanol provides a solution that addresses both regulations and over time should be both a cost-effective and long term solution.”

Fredrik Stubner, Director Ship Management Marinvest Shipping, shared real life operational experience running tankers powered by Methanol on behalf of Waterfront Shipping.

“Our first four ships delivered in 2016, have not experienced any serious issues that have resulted in off-hire or idle time and we now have in excess of 45,000 successful running hours on Methanol. What should be realised is that the EEDI reduction introduced in 2030 will apply for new ships as well as old. We expect that carbon emissions will be measured from well to wake, so Methanol which can be produced from many different sources will have big advantages.”

George Drossos, Head of Marine New Sales, MAN Energy Solutions Hellas stressed the simplicity of adopting Methanol fuelled engines as well as the fuel’s ability to meet NOx emissions regulations.

“Our LGIM Methanol engine not only lowers SOx and CO2 emissions, our latest tests show that mixed with water, Methanol can meet Tier III NOx emissions without any additional SCR equipment. Installation is simple as a Methanol fuel gas supply system operates at low-pressure and fuel is stored without the need for cryogenics. Engines can be retrofitted easily with very few components, thereby increasing the value of the vessel.”

The seminar was live streamed and sponsored by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) which will make a recording available via its website.

Feedback from delegates suggested that the industry still requires additional data and practical information on the use of Methanol as marine fuel and on its potential as a sustainable fuel when produced from renewable sources. Basil Galanomatis, Manager, Newbuilding Contracting, George Moundreas & Company SA said:

“Methanol seems to be one of the most attractive solutions for use as marine fuel provided the issues of availability and production cost are resolved. The method of Methanol production by capturing atmospheric CO2 seems to be very promising in respect to a dramatic reduction in GHG emissions.”

The next seminar in the series will be held in Sao Paolo, Brazil in August (date to be finalised).

Photo credit: Methanol Institute
Published: 14 June, 2019
 

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Methanol

World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to “Arctic Tern” via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel “M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan”.
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July 22, 2026

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World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Marine fuel provider World Fuel on Tuesday (21 July) said it successfully completed the first green methanol bunkering of M/V Arctic Tern, with EUKOR Car Carriers and SIPG Energy at the Port of Shanghai. 

Arctic Tern is the first vessel in the new Shaper Class series of car carriers. 

The operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to Arctic Tern via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan, the largest vessel of its kind in operation. 

The bunkering operation was carried out at Haitong Terminal, Waigaoqiao Port Area, Shanghai Port, with cargo handling operations conducted simultaneously during bunkering.

This marks EUKOR Car Carriers’ first green methanol operation and the first time Arctic Tern has bunkered methanol since its delivery on 9 July. The operation marked the first bunkering at Shanghai Port of green methanol produced locally in Shanghai for an international PCTC operator. 

It also demonstrated the city’s integrated green methanol value chain, spanning local production, storage and bunkering, and established a replicable “Shanghai Model” for green methanol supply.

World Fuel arranged the supply and delivery of the fuel on behalf of EUKOR Car Carriers, working with SIPG Energy as the physical supplier at the Port of Shanghai.

The green methanol supplied was produced from municipal solid waste, ISCC-EU certified, and had a carbon intensity value below 25 gCO₂e/MJ.

Arctic Tern is the first of fourteen Shaper Class vessels ordered by Wallenius Wilhelmsen. With a capacity of 9,300 car equivalent units and methanol dual-fuel capability, the vessel will be operated by EUKOR Car Carriers, jointly owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Hyundai Motor Group. Following her first green methanol bunkering, Arctic Tern will continue her maiden voyage from Asia to Europe.

Xavier Leroi, COO Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen and CEO of EUKOR Car Carriers, said: “Completing Arctic Tern’s first green methanol bunkering shortly after delivery is a significant milestone towards our decarbonisation ambition for both EUKOR Car Carriers and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. It demonstrates how investments in next-generation vessel technology and fuel flexibility are being translated into real-world operations. 

“This achievement reflects the strong collaboration between all parties involved. Together, we have shown how partnerships across the maritime value chain can help make lower-emission fuels available and operationally viable at scale.”

Mark Tamsitt, SVP Global Marine Sales at World Fuel, said, “The first bunkering event with a new fuel is a significant moment for any shipowner, and our role is to make it as seamless as possible. By connecting EUKOR Car Carriers with SIPG Energy’s proven green methanol capability at the Port of Shanghai, we were able to deliver on reliable supply, fuel quality, and safe processes. As more of our customers bring methanol dual-fuel tonnage into service, we are committed to being the partner that makes these kinds of operations routine.”

Mr. Zhang Da, General Manager of SIPG Energy, said, “Welcoming Arctic Tern to the Port of Shanghai for her first green methanol bunkering demonstrates the strength and maturity of our supply capability. Building on our well-established methanol ship-to-ship bunkering services for container vessels, we have already extended such services to pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs). This bunkering sets a new record for the largest single SIMOPs green methanol bunkering for PCTCs in China, marking another step in building Shanghai’s position as a global green energy hub for international shipping.”

This operation follows Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s announcement on 9 July that Arctic Tern would complete her first methanol bunkering shortly after delivery. The vessel entered service on routes between Asia and Europe immediately following handover from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing.

 

Photo credit: World Fuel
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Ammonia

HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

HPA says the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.
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July 22, 2026

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HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and integrated energy company MB Energy on Tuesday (21 July) said they have completed a comprehensive risk analysis and developed a dedicated safety concept for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.

MB Energy said the analysis lays the groundwork for the safe introduction of ammonia as a future marine fuel.

“With our planned ammonia import terminal in Hamburg-Blumensand, MB Energy intends to provide the reliable land side supply infrastructure needed to support this transition across northern German ports,” it said in a social media post. 

Mabanaft Group was renamed to MB Energy last year and merged over 50 existing brands under one identity. 

Separately, HPA said the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.

“The focus is in particular on container ships, cruise ships as well as RoRo and ConRo (Container/RoRo) ships,” it said. 

“We expect ammonia to establish itself as an alternative marine marine fuel in the coming years. With our preparatory work, we are already creating the conditions to welcome the first ammonia-powered ships in Hamburg and to bunker them safely.:

HPA added that the import terminal for ammonia planned by MB Energy from 2029 will make a decisive contribution to ensuring the reliable availability of ammonia as a bunker fuel in northern German ports in the long term. 

“The use of an ammonia bunker barge is considered a possible addition to the landside infrastructure to enable ship bunkering in the port and beyond in the future,” it said.

Related: Mabanaft Group renames as MB Energy, merging over 50 brands under one identity

 

Photo credit: Hamburg Port Authority
Published: 22 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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July 21, 2026

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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