Alternative Fuels

IBIA, Green Marine ink deal to provide methanol bunker training, starting in Singapore

With Methanol Institute support, they aim to provide training for crew operating on bunker tankers and bunker surveyors are competent and ready for methanol bunkering on a larger scale.

Published

1 year ago

July 25, 2023

Admin

The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and multi-disciplinary methanol consultancy Green Marine on Monday (24 July) said they have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a methanol bunkering training programme to further the cause of a skilled and competent bunker workforce, with support from the Methanol Institute.

The three organisations said training remains a key priority for IBIA as we move into a greener and more sustainable future addressing the needs of future manpower training and the future-proofing of the existing workforce.

The cooperation agreement is aimed to provide training for existing and future crew operating on bunker tankers and bunker surveyors are competent and ready for methanol bunkering on a larger scale. The plan is to commence the training in Singapore first and expanding globally in 2024.

In the first instance, IBIA and Green Marine have worked together with the crew from the supplying tanker and the bunker surveyors involved in the methanol bunkering pilot in Singapore, identifying and plugging the training gaps and competency needs prior to the pilot.

Timothy Cosulich, Chair of IBIA, said: “IBIA's strategic focus on training is driven by the impending transformative changes in the maritime industry, especially concerning alternative fuel options for achieving environmental targets by 2030 and 2050. We are committed to equipping our members with essential knowledge and skills to navigate this evolving landscape successfully.”

“Our exciting partnership with Green Marine allows us to expand bunker-related courses, enriching educational opportunities. We are grateful for the Methanol Institute's endorsement, which reinforces the importance of our training initiative and the dedication of industry leaders to a well-prepared maritime workforce. Through strategic training and partnerships, IBIA strives to steer the maritime community towards a greener and more sustainable future, fostering a cleaner, responsible, and resilient shipping industry.”

Morten Jacobsen, CEO of Green Marine, said: “Green Marine’s methanol training curriculum was created based on practical knowledge gathered over a decade of experience working on methanol dual fuel vessels. Our methanol specialists are captains and chief engineers with first-hand knowledge of working with methanol as marine fuel and the safe handling of same.”

“Their experience includes services from methanol system design integration consultancy to newbuilding construction supervision, technical management, and operations. Our methanol training curriculum is supplementing baseline regulatory training requirements with practical, experience-based learning.”

Chris Chatterton, Chief Operating Officer, the Methanol Institute, said: “We applaud Green Marine’s ongoing efforts to support the development of methanol as a marine fuel, now together with IBIA, effectively creating the ‘gold standard’ for safe handling and bunkering. These are still early days for alternative fuels, making it a necessity to collaborate on fundamental elements for their safe and efficient integration with the maritime supply chain, bunkering and on-board handling. Such partnerships allow us as an industry to go further, faster, as we transition to a lower emissions environment.”

Last month, Manifold Times previously reported the Methanol Institute welcoming Green Marine as its latest member.

The Denmark-headquartered company recently finalised a specialist training programme for crews onboard methanol dual-fuel vessels, supplementing baseline regulatory training requirements with practical, experience-based learning.

Earlier, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Green Marine Bunkering announced they have entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a joint development study on methanol as a new marine fuel in Singapore.

Both will study the feasibility to implement a viable methanol bunkering supply chain in the country.

Photo credit: International Bunker Industry Association
Published: 25 July, 2023

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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

8 hours ago

December 2, 2024

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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

8 hours ago

December 2, 2024

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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

8 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