ABEL Energy plans to build facility to supply Singapore with green methanol bunker fuel
- Published
by Admin
Abel Energy on Thursday (14 March) said it was finalising a feasibility assessment of the potential construction of a USD 1.7 billion methanol manufacturing plant, which will supply green methanol to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for bunkering.
The project will be on 16 to 22 hectares of land at the Cleveland Bay Industrial Park located in the Townsville State Development Area to produce 400,000 metric tonnes per annum of green methanol.
Abel Energy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Port of Townsville to undertake investigations required to assess the feasibility of the Townsville Project.
Under the MoU, they will assess and analyse the green methanol market including customer segments such as identification of bunkering customers, market leading customers with alternate fuel strategies, high level vessel fuel conversion studies and suitability assessment to local vessel fleet.
A final investment decision for the Townsville Project would be by the end of 2027, with operations commencing in 2029.
A Green and Digital Shipping Corridor is being established, which will help decarbonise and digitalise shipping routes between Singapore and Australia. Both countries formalised their cooperation on establishing a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 5 March 2024.
ABEL Energy is seeking to export green methanol through the Port of Townsville and provide green methanol marine bunkering facilities on Port land. This would also include supporting infrastructure such as storage tanks, loading and unloading facilities, and pipelines.
ABEL Energy’s current flagship project is Bell Bay in Tasmania. A MoU has been signed between Port of Melbourne, Maersk, ANL, Svitzer, Stolthaven Terminals, HAMR Energy and ABEL Energy to explore the commercial feasibility of establishing a green methanol storage and bunkering hub at the Port of Melbourne.
ABEL Energy CEO Michael van Baarle, said: “The Townsville project would seek to replicate the company’s flagship project, Bell Bay Powerfuels in Tasmania.”
“ABEL Energy’s green methanol production process uses 100 per cent renewable power, fresh water and biomass residues. Our production site in Bell Bay – and the one planned for Townsville – is clean in operation with virtually zero greenhouse gas emissions, water emissions or waste discharge.
“Townsville poses an ideal location for our second green methanol production facility due to the availability of wind and solar energy, along with the large amount of readily available biomass in the forms of sugar cane waste, invasive pest species prickly acacia and woodchip.”
Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Albert North and Abel Energy
Published: 18 March 2024
