Port of Houston achieves milestone with first STS methanol bunkering op in US
- Published
by Admin
Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk’s (Maersk) container vessel recently completed the first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering at the Port of Houston.
TANGIER MAERSK was bunkered with 2,000 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol by tank barge KIRBY 29067, marking the first time that methanol was transferred as a fuel source from a vessel to a vessel in the port of Houston and the United States.
This bunkering operation was the culmination of four months of meetings, risk assessments, and design reviews between the US Coast Guard, the Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGC NCOE), Maersk Line Limited, and Kirby Marine personnel.
The US Coast Guard said the operation marked a new growing economic opportunity in the United States as the demand for alternatives to fuel oil continues to grow.
The LGC NCOE is one of six nationwide national centers of expertise focusing on providing industry specific consultation and services to the Coast Guard and maritime industry.
Photo credit: US Coast Guard
Published: 10 April, 2026
