Chris Chatterton, Maritime Advisor of Global Centre for Green Fuels (GCGF) and Maritime Ethanol & Methanol Alliance (MEMA), was recently interviewed by Singapore-based bunkering publication Manifold Times on GCGF’s role in the bunker industry, MEMA’s development following its launch, ethanol as an alternative marine fuel and methanol’s current scaling in the maritime industry: 

MT: What is GCGF’s role and contribution to the overall bunker and maritime industries?

GCGF is an industry acceleration platform focused on making low-carbon marine fuels deployable at scale — safely, credibly, and economically. Our contribution sits at the intersection of policy, technical standards, safety, and market adoption.

In practical terms, we:

• De-risk adoption by convening fuel producers, shipowners, ports, OEMs, and class around fit-for-purpose specifications, safety guidance, and operational best practices.
• Translate regulation into implementation by turning IMO / regional requirements into clear pathways: fuel quality, sustainability documentation, MRV, and onboard compatibility.
• Support the bunker ecosystem by enabling a marketplace that can move from “first pilots” to repeatable supply and demand, including physical supply models and credible chain-of-custody approaches.
• Build a common language across stakeholders — so fuel buyers, suppliers, and regulators align on what “low-GHG” means in LCA terms, not just headlines.

MT: What role does GCGF play in bridging the gap between fuel producers, regulators, and vessel operators?

GCGF acts as a neutral connector and translator between three groups that often move at different speeds. Producers need bankable demand signals; operators need technical certainty and safe handling procedures; regulators need integrity, traceability, and compliance clarity.

We bridge that gap by:

• Convening structured working groups (policy, technical, safe handling & bunkering) to convert “questions” into agreed guidance and next actions.
• Aligning fuel specs and onboard requirements by bringing together engine OEMs, class, labs, and ship operators to converge on quality parameters, contaminants, and operability.
• Clarifying sustainability and documentation so producers can supply with confidence and operators can claim compliance — including LCA boundaries, chain of custody, and audit readiness.
• Creating adoption playbooks: what ports need, what training looks like, what bunkering procedures look like, and how to scale from pilot to routine operations.

MT: Following the launch of MEMA, how many members have joined, what activities has MEMA been involved in, and what does it strive to achieve this year? 

MEMA was launched to accelerate real-world adoption of ethanol and methanol across shipping by aligning the industry on standards, safety, and scalable supply models. Since launch, MEMA has grown to 30 members and collaborators, spanning from shipowners/operators, fuel producers/traders, OEMs, class, ports, bunker suppliers, labs/academia, to solution providers.

Current member profile (high level) is fairly balanced across:

• Vessel operators / shipowners
• Fuel producers / traders / bunker suppliers
• Engine OEMs / technical partners
• Class, ports, and service ecosystem
• Other Associations

Activities to date:

• Convened technical sessions focused on fuel blending, quality, compatibility, and operational learnings.
• Advanced industry discussion on ISO specifications and documentation needed for ethanol/methanol supply chains (including chain-of-custody approaches).
• Started building safe handling & firefighting alignment, linking vessel procedures, port readiness, and training requirements.
• Supported stakeholder alignment around policy direction and compliance pathways (IMO/regional), especially where guidance is still evolving.

What MEMA aims to achieve this year:

• Publish a practical series of guidance packages (operator-focused) covering fuel quality expectations, onboard handling, bunkering interfaces, and training elements.
• Drive progress toward fuel specification convergence (including clarity on blends where relevant and safe) to include our own independent testing.
• Expand member participation across ports and bunker suppliers to support repeatable supply availability, not one-off pilots.
• Run a structured calendar of working group sessions and industry briefings to accelerate implementation readiness.

MT: What progress has been made on ethanol as an alternative marine fuel and its scaling for wider adoption?

Ethanol has moved from “concept fuel” to a credible pathway for near-term decarbonisation — especially where it can leverage existing liquid fuel logistics and mature production capacity. Progress is being made across four areas:

1. Technical readiness: Increasing clarity on engine and system compatibility pathways, including operational learnings around materials, handling, and performance expectations.
2. Standards and specifications: Momentum is building toward clearer marine-fit ethanol specifications and a more consistent approach to what parameters matter most for safety and operability.
3. Safety and training: The industry is maturing on safe handling, bunkering procedures, and emergency response for alcohol fuels — an essential step toward routine operations.
4. Scaling logic: Ethanol’s advantage is that scale can be unlocked through a combination of credible sustainability guardrails (LCA integrity) and deployment models that fit shipping’s operational reality — including regional corridors, port readiness, and predictable supply arrangements.

What’s still needed to scale faster: stronger clarity on regulatory treatment and compliance accounting, continued spec alignment, and more repeatable port/vessel operating playbooks that reduce perceived risk for first movers.

MT: How about methanol’s current status in scaling as a practical low-GHG option?

Methanol is currently the most operationally advanced alcohol fuel pathway in shipping, with clear momentum in vessel uptake and early bunkering capability — and the main scaling question is the carbon intensity of supply.

Where methanol stands today:

• High operational momentum: Growing adoption and ecosystem readiness (vessels, procedures, and supply chain participants), making it a practical near-term option.
• Fuel availability vs. fuel carbon intensity: Conventional methanol is widely available, but the decarbonisation impact depends on scaling low-GHG methanol pathways (bio-methanol, e-methanol, and other certified low-CI routes).
• Infrastructure advantage: As a liquid fuel with established handling practices in industry, methanol can be integrated into bunkering with manageable upgrades and strong emphasis on safety protocols.
• Market direction: The industry is increasingly differentiating between “methanol the molecule” and “methanol the climate outcome”, — which is why credible certification, chain-of-custody, and documentation are central to scaling as a low-GHG solution.

In summary, methanol is scaling fastest on the vessel and operational side; the decisive lever now is scaling certified low-GHG supply and ensuring the compliance framework rewards genuine emissions reductions.

Chris Chatterton will be speaking at the upcoming Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) 2026 during the Panel Discussion: Scaling Methanol in Shipping on 25 March 14:00 – 14:50.

Related: Singapore: GCGF launches alliance to advance ethanol and methanol bunker fuels
Related: Alcotra joins alliance MEMA to advance ethanol and methanol bunker fuels
Related: GCGF: Why ethanol deserves a seat at the alternative bunker fuels table

Photo credit: GCGF
Published: 5 March, 2026