Methanol

Argus Media: Alternatives may drive methanol market growth

Driven by low-carbon policies and regulations, the transportation sector — especially the marine fuels industry — could be a source of heightened demand, according to Argus.

Published

1 year ago

September 22, 2023

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The growth of sustainable alternatives to traditional methanol production sources likely will shape the market over the next several years, industry leaders said this week at the Argus Methanol Forum.

20 September

Driven by low-carbon policies and regulations, the transportation sector — especially the marine fuels industry — could be a source of heightened demand.

"The aim is to be net zero by 2050 but [those solutions are] expensive today and one of the main challenges to build e-methanol or bio-methanol plants is a huge queue for these pieces of equipment that aren't available," Anita Gajadhar, executive director for Swiss-based methanol producer Proman, said.

Bio-based and e-methanol plants of commercial scale, like Proman's natural gas-fed 1.9 million metric tonne/yr M5000 plant in Trinidad and Tobago, are not ready today.

"But that's not to say 10 years from now they won't be there," Gajadhar added.

Smaller projects are popping up. Dutch fuels and gas supplier OCI Global announced plans last week to double the green methanol capacity at its Beaumont, Texas, facility to 400,000 t/yr and will add e-methanol to production for the first time. Production will use feedstocks such as renewable natural gas (RNG), green hydrogen and biogas.

The globally oversupplied methanol market will not get any major supply additions starting in 2024 until 2027. But that oversupply will not last long, Gajadhar said.

Global demand has slowed this year, driven by stagnate economic growth and higher interest rates, according to industry observers.

As much as half of methanol demand is tied to GDP growth, with total methanol demand estimates at 88.9mn t globally in 2023. This is essentially flat from 2022, but up from 88.3m t in 2021 and 87.7mn t in 2020, Dave McCaskill, vice-president of methanol and derivatives for Argus Media's consulting service, said.

Demand is not expected to rebound to 2019 levels of 89.6mn t until 2024 or 2025, he added.

The period of oversupply combined with lackluster demand places methanol in a transition period, Gajadhar said, which opens the door for sustainable feedstock alternatives to shape market growth.

Danish container shipping giant Maersk and French marine logistics company CMA-CGM announced earlier this week a partnership to drive decarbonization in shipping. The partnership seeks to develop fuel and operations standards for bunkering with alternative fuels. The companies will develop net-zero solutions, including new technology and alternative fuels.

Maersk has previously ordered dual-fuel methanol-powered vessels and CMA-CGM LNG-propelled vessels.

The demand for alternative feedstock-derived fuels is there, but the ability to scale-up such production lags. Certified lower-carbon methanol produced using carbon capture and sequestration — also known as blue methanol— can ramp up much more quickly, according to Gajadhar.

By Steven McGinn

Photo credit and source: Argus Media
Published: 22 September, 2023

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Methanol

China: Shanghai Port commences regular methanol bunkering operations

Port carried out the first STS bunkering during simultaneous operations for large methanol-powered container ships for this year in Yangshan Port Area on 1 January, says SIPG.

Published

5 days ago

January 8, 2025

Admin

Ane Maersk during Shanghai Port's first methanol bunkering for 2025

Editor's note [8 January 2025]: Photo updated.

Shanghai Port has begun regular methanol bunkering services following its inaugural refuelling operation for this year, according to Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) on Friday (3 January).

The port carried out the first ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operation during simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) for large methanol-powered container ships for 2025 in Yangshan Port Area on 1 January.

SIPG’s bunkering vessel Hai Gang Zhi Yuan refuelled Ane Maersk with 3,000 metric tonnes (mt) of green methanol. The event also marked the second time the same bunkering vessel refuelled Ane Maersk.

The first-ever STS green methanol bunkering operation in Shanghai Port took place in April 2024 involving Astrid Maersk, which also marked the first green methanol bunkering in China.

Shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) announced the first green methanol bunkering with simultaneous cargo and bunkering operations in China, involving its containership Astrid Maersk.

Hai Gang Zhi Yuan is the first methanol bunkering vessel in the port.

Manifold Times previously reported SIPG stating Shanghai Port’s goal is to reach an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters (m3) and a green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million mt by 2030, achieving a “double-million” target.

Currently, Shanghai Port operates two LNG bunkering vessels and one methanol bunkering vessel, with plans to add one more of each soon.

In 2023, SIPG also signed a MoU with Maersk to explore green methanol fuel vessel-to-vessel bunkering operation after the delivery of Maersk’s green methanol container vessels in 2024.

Photo credit: A.P. Moller – Maersk
Published: 8 January, 2025

Alternative Fuels

Shanghai Port ramps up LNG and methanol bunkering to achieve ‘double-million’ target

Shanghai Port’s goal is to reach an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters and a green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million metric tonnes by 2030, says SIPG.

Published

6 days ago

January 7, 2025

Admin

CMA CGM achieves 100th SIMOPS LNG bunkering operation in Shanghai

Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG) recently said Shanghai Port’s goal is to reach an LNG bunkering capacity of 1 million cubic meters (m3) and a green methanol bunkering capacity of 1 million metric tonnes (mt) by 2030, achieving a “double-million” target.

Shanghai Port has completed 125 bonded LNG bunkering operations for international vessels, with a total bunkering volume of 730,000 m3 in 2024.

“LNG bunkering services are becoming regular services at the port, with expected annual bunkering volume reaching 450,000 m3 in 2024, a growth of over 70%,” it said.

Shanghai Port is also on track to achieve full coverage of LNG bunkering for its container terminals.

In April last year, Shanghai Port successfully completed China’s first green methanol bunkering operation for a large container vessel, marking a historic milestone for China.

Shipping giant A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) announced the first green methanol bunkering with simultaneous cargo and bunkering operations in China, involving its containership Astrid Maersk.

By 2025, Shanghai Port will establish regular green methanol bunkering services.

Currently, Shanghai Port operates two LNG bunkering vessels and one methanol bunkering vessel, with plans to add one more of each soon.

Manifold Times previously reported SIPG signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Korea-based integrated logistics company HMM to cooperate in the supply of clean marine fuel, focusing on bunkering methanol and LNG at Shanghai Port.

In 2023, SIPG also signed a MoU with Maersk to explore green methanol fuel vessel-to-vessel bunkering operation after the delivery of Maersk’s green methanol container vessels in 2024.

Photo credit: Shanghai International Port Group
Published: 7 January, 2025

Methanol

GENA Solutions: Total renewable and low-carbon methanol project pipeline rises from 39.9 to 41.2 Mt by 2030

Information shared by the Methanol Institute meant to assist the maritime industry in the adoption of methanol as a mainstream marine fuel heading into IMO 2030/2050.

Published

6 days ago

January 7, 2025

Admin

GENA Solutions: Total renewable and low-carbon methanol project pipeline rises from 39.9 to 41.2 Mt by 2030

The Methanol Institute recently shared with Manifold Times the renewable and low-carbon methanol project pipeline December 2024 release produced by GENA Solutions Oy (Green Energy Analytics).

Information from the release is meant to provide the bunkering publication’s readers with insight on renewable methanol availability, and to assist the maritime industry in the adoption of methanol as a mainstream marine fuel heading into IMO 2030/2050.

Key highlights of the December 2024 release are as follows:

The renewable methanol project pipeline increased from 31.8 Mt in November to 33.0 Mt in December (+1.2 Mt). The total renewable and low-carbon methanol project pipeline grew from 39.9 Mt to 41.2 Mt.
As of December 2024, GENA tracks 115 e-methanol plants and projects with total capacity of 18.3 Mt, 83 biomethanol plants and projects with total capacity of 14.7 Mt, and 14 low-carbon methanol plants and projects with total capacity of 8.1 Mt.
Nine projects were added in the December release: eight in China and one in the United States. One project was excluded from the Project Navigator.
Two renewable methanol projects in China have started construction during the last month, and one project has started engineering. Currently, 2.5 Mt of renewable methanol facilities are under construction, which represents a 1.8 Mt increase compared to January 2024.
The renewable methanol project pipeline has increased by 15.1 Mt (+84%) from January to December 2024, while low-carbon methanol increased by 3.8 Mt (+88%).
Renewable methanol capacity by 2030 could reach 7.5 Mt in the Advanced Projects scenario, 13.7 Mt in the Higher Probability Projects scenario, and 3.1 Mt in the After FID Projects scenario.