Alternative Fuels

Auramarine introduces methanol fuel supply system for marine engines

Receives significant interest in the new units and is in advanced conversations with shipowners, operators, OEMs, and shipyards on supply and installation.

Published

3 years ago

June 2, 2022

Admin

Fuel supply systems manufacturer Auramarine Ltd on Tuesday (31 May) said it has invested in the development of one of the industry’s first Methanol Fuel Supply Units to meet the demand for methanol as a promising future bunker fuel.

The units are suitable for both two-stroke and four-stroke engines and can be adapted to suit the conversion of existing engines to dual-fuel methanol operation.

Auramarine has already received significant interest in the units and is in advanced conversations with shipowners, operators, OEMs, and shipyards on supply and installation, and expects to deliver the first system in 2023.

“Ship owners want to invest in green fuels, but the challenge lies in finding the right solution and inspiring confidence to drive uptake,” said CEO John Bergman.

“At Auramarine, we provide an expert technical review of a vessel or fleet’s fuel supply systems and determine the best possible adaptation of existing equipment to effectively and safely handle methanol and other future fuels such as biofuel and ammonia.”

Methanol is one of the most viable clean bunker fuels, with more than 100 ports worldwide already supplying the fuel. It reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions, and full carbon neutrality can be achieved using green methanol. Methanol also effectively reduces NOx, SOx and Particulate Matter emissions.

Existing fuel oil tanks can be used for storage with little modification, as methanol can be stored at ambient pressure and temperature. Although methanol has lower volumetric energy density than LNG, the tank arrangements for methanol can still fit in a smaller space as no cryogenic or high-pressure infrastructure is required.

Auramarine’s Methanol Fuel Supply Units ensure the safe delivery of methanol from the service tank to the Master Fuel Valve, regulating the flow, pressure and temperature of the methanol to meet the specific requirements of the engine. The system actively maintains the supply pressure within the specified tolerances during load changes and filters the fuel to prevent any impurities from entering the engine.

A pilot fuel system is required for methanol operations in dual fuel engines, and Auramarine has extended its experience of pilot fuel systems for LNG to methanol supply to provide ship owners with single-supplier synergies.

In line with Auramarine’s mantra to provide fuel supply solutions for all types of vessels, the methanol unit can be applied as both a retrofit and for newbuildings.

A dedicated design option for constrained spaces allows the unit to be split into parts for smooth transport and installation, as well as for placing the unit in an optimal location onboard. The most straightforward solution is to install an Auramarine methanol supply unit into an Ex-compliant container on deck, but the system can also be installed in Ex-space below deck as one unit or in several parts, depending on the space available. All units are supplied pre-tested to shorten installation and commissioning times at the shipyard.

“Auramarine is committed to supporting the shipping industry’s roadmap to decarbonisation,” adds Bergman.

“With future fuel uncertainty leading to some ship owners stalling newbuild orders, we need to scrutinise every aspect of the supply process and analyse the supporting fuel supply infrastructure to ensure ship owners are empowered to make the right decision.

“Auramarine’s 40 years of knowledge and expertise has enabled us to develop a blueprint for bringing new fuels online from a fuel supply perspective. We have delivered more than 15,000 fuel supply and auxiliary units all over the world, and we look forward to supporting ship owners further at Posidonia in June.”

Photo credit: Auramarine
Published: 2 June, 2022

Biofuel

Singapore: GCMD introduces new technique for FAME bio bunker fuel fingerprinting

Fingerprinting identifies feedstock origins of FAME-based biofuels used in shipping industry; can be used as a potential tool to detect fraud in marine fuel supply chains and ensure biofuel authenticity.

Published

11 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

Singapore: GCMD introduces new technique for FAME bio bunker fuel fingerprinting

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Monday (2 December) released its latest report, presenting a new technique that creates a fingerprint for Fatty Acid Methyl Esters(FAME) bio bunker fuels.

This fingerprint identifies the feedstock origins of the FAME-based biofuels used in the shipping industry.

GCMD said FAME fingerprinting is needed as the shipping sector is increasingly using biofuels, such as FAME, to reduce its GHG emissions. With that, concerns have arisen regarding the legitimacy of biofuels and whether they are truly sustainable.

Industry bodies are seeing a rising number of cases mislabelling biofuels purported to be made from recycled oils and fats, while suspicions persist that they might be produced from cheaper and less sustainable virgin oils.

“To address these concerns, FAME fingerprinting can be used as a potential tool to detect fraud in marine fuel supply chains and ensure biofuel authenticity. By providing a physical validation method that complements existing certification schemes, FAME fingerprinting can help justify the green premium with genuine environmental benefits and safeguard the integrity of marine fuels supply chain,” GCMD said.

FAME fingerprinting is based on the principle that the fatty acid profile of FAME is unique to its feedstock and can be preserved during feedstock transesterification to produce FAME. The "fingerprint" can then be compared against a database of known fatty acid profiles to identify the feedstock origin.

GCMD worked with VPS who modified existing fuel testing methods to carry out sample analyses using a gas chromatograph with flame-ionisation detection, an instrument commonly found in fuel test laboratories.

The analysis takes about an hour, comparable to the turnaround time for current marine fuel quality testing in the supply chain.

“We have tested this method on a variety of FAME samples from different suppliers, including virgin oils, used cooking oils, palm oil mill effluent, beef tallow and food waste and were able to identify the feedstock origins for each sample,” GCMD added.

Manifold Times previously reported Captain Rahul Choudhuri, President, Strategic Partnerships at marine fuels testing company VPS, forecasting the use of finger printing technology today will likely establish a blueprint of how future alternative bunker fuels’ feedstocks are authenticated.

Captain Choudhuri said this when he gave an update of VPS’ biofuels finger printing trials with GCMD.

Note: The full report, titled ‘Rapid forensic analysis of FAME-based biofuels: Potential use of its fingerprint as a fraud detection tool’, can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 2 December, 2024

Methanol

PLAGEN to produce and supply green methanol bunker fuel with Latvia plant

Korean firm’s MoU with AE Risinājumi will see construction of Latvia’s first commercial-scale green methanol production plant, which will supply green methanol to ships in EU’s maritime fleet.

Published

11 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

PLAGEN to produce and supply green methanol bunker fuel with Latvia plant

South Korean clean energy firm PLAGEN on Friday (29 November) signed an MOU with Latvian company, AE Risinājumi, for the production of green methanol in Latvia at the “2024 Latvia-Korea Business Forum” hosted by the President of Latvia.

The agreement will result in the construction of Latvia's first commercial-scale green methanol production plant, which will supply green methanol to ships in the EU's maritime fleet, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transportation.

PLAGEN's MoU aims to produce 20,000 metric tonnes (mt) of green methanol per year and will begin feasibility studies in the first half of 2025, and full-scale production will begin in 2028.

With 53% of Latvia's land area covered by forests, timber production and wood processing make a significant contribution to Latvia’s economic production, which generates a large amount of forest residues and wood wastes. In addition, Latvia also has an abundance and low price of renewable electricity from wind power.

Latvia is one of the most competitive countries in the European Union, as it can produce clean methanol at a competitive price by using abundant wood waste as a raw material and renewable electricity from cheap wind power.

The use of abundant forest residues and wood wastes as a feedstock and cheap renewable electricity from wind power makes it possible to produce green methanol with a competitive price, making Latvia is one of the most competitive countries in the EU.

In the European Union, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) will come into effect in 2025, requiring shipping companies to purchase carbon credits for their greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the EU is implementing FuelEU Maritime, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2% below the 2020 average by 2025 and 80% by 2050. This is expected to result in an energy transition to green methanol.

In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a revised strategy that calls for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships to net-zero by or around 2050, and plans to introduce full-scale regulations from 2027, and shipping companies have begun ordering methanol-powered ships fueled by green methanol, a carbon-neutral fuel.

“We expect to start producing green methanol in Latvia in 2028, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from EU maritime transport vessels and contribute significantly to the revitalization of the Latvian economy and national energy security,” said John Kyung, CEO of PLAGEN.

In November 2024, PLAGEN completed the purchase of an industrial complex and received a government permit for the construction of the country's first green methanol plant in Dongjeom Industrial Complex in Taebaek City, Gangwon-do.

The project, which will produce 10,000 mt per year, is scheduled to begin construction in the first half of 2025 and begin production in the second half of 2027.

Photo credit: PLAGEN
Published: 2 December, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Molgas commences LNG bunkering operations in United Kingdom

Firm successfully completed the first LNG bunkering of “MV Glen Sannox” since the ship was handed over to CalMac Ferries Limited last week.

Published

12 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

Molgas commences LNG bunkering operations in United Kingdom

Molgas Group on Friday (29 November) said it successfully completed the first LNG bunkering of the MV Glen Sannox since the ship was handed over to CalMac Ferries Limited last week, marking its entry into the United Kingdom.

“We would like to thank CalMac Ferries Limited and Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited for their trust and long-term collaboration,” the firm said in a social media post.

“This project not only represents a significant step forward in the adoption of cleaner fuels in the maritime industry of the United Kingdom but also for the expansion of our Pan-European Supply Network for the Marine Segment to receive (bio)LNG via various supply assets across multiple countries and ports.”

Photo credit: Molgas Group
Published: 2 December, 2024