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The best of both worlds: Hydrogen and methanol to power shipping’s future

Stuart Crawford, Managing Director of methanol-to-hydrogen generator technology developer e1 Marine, explains why its technology is shipping’s answer for decarbonisation.

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By Stuart Crawford, e1 Marine, Managing Director

Shipping is reliant on HFO and will be for many years to come. This makes effectively implementing green fuels with varying properties and inadequate infrastructure one of our sector’s biggest challenges. But the reputation of our industry, the health of our planet, and the social licence to operate for tomorrow’s shipowners depends upon a successful resolution.

The pressure to move from traditional bunkers to future fuels has been further heightened with the implementation of new environmental regulation, such as the IMO’s CII and EEXI requirements and the EU’s ‘Fitfor55’ climate package. Nevertheless, time is not on our side, and we cannot wait for infrastructure developments on land and the alignment of global regulation before we act.

Consider hydrogen. Although Germany, to take one example, has invested $10 billion to fund 62 large-scale hydrogen projects and countries such as Australia and Singapore recently signed an agreement to drive the use of hydrogen as a maritime fuel, it is not yet a viable decarbonisation solution for the maritime industry. At present, hydrogen fuelled vessels are a novelty and this is unlikely to change for years to come.

This is not because the industry views hydrogen as non-viable. It is, in fact, because of how difficult it is to scale hydrogen operations, the safety aspects of handling, storage and bunkering, and the lack of regulation.

The bigger picture

Methanol solves the challenges of high-cost hydrogen storage, supply limitation and regulation. It is a chemically effective carrying medium for hydrogen, widely approved fuel type and readily available at more than 85 of the top 100 ports worldwide. It is also cost competitive with contemporary diesel generators. This makes it economically feasible and accessible for most owners and operators. Likewise, its infrastructure is undergoing continued investment from influential countries, like Singapore, who recently collaborated with The Methanol Institute via Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.

Despite the current challenges around using hydrogen as a marine fuel, we strongly believe it to be one of the most viable future fuels. With this in mind, we aimed to develop an economically feasible, safe and realistic solution for owners and operators to decarbonise operations. Rigorous R&D, combined with the expert knowledge of our co-creators Ardmore Shipping, Maritime Partners and Element 1 led to the development of our methanol-to-hydrogen technology.

Taking all this into consideration, we believe methanol reforming for hydrogen generation, when combined with a PEM fuel cell, is the missing link for decarbonising both inland and eventually deep-sea shipping. This is proven by the viability of our methanol-to-hydrogen technology on land. It’s a technology which is safe, offers a pathway to carbon neutrality, and is cost competitive in comparison with traditional propulsion methods.

The e1 Marine Methanol Reformer is a key element within this technology as it enables the effective transportation of hydrogen in the form of methanol. The hydrogen generated from our technology can then be used to either produce electricity on a deep-sea vessel, or as the main source of propulsion on inland vessels.

This combination of methanol and water also increases the hydrogen ratio by a further 33.33% leading to a price competitive and efficient decarbonisation solution. The technology not only reduces emissions by 28% but also produces zero NOx, SOx and PM emissions. Using renewable methanol alongside future efficient carbon capture technology could even result in it becoming CO2 negative.

With an ISO already in place for the use of methanol in the maritime sector, the benefits of a methanol-based, hydrogen-dense, marine fuel also address the safety aspect of carrying hydrogen - negating the need for any high-pressure hydrogen storage onboard.

It is through methanol that we will unlock the carbon reduction potential of hydrogen as a marine fuel and make the use of future fuels a reality for owners and operators today.

Looking beyond 2021

I started my career in the maritime industry with the vision of making a real difference.  Although sustainability was not at the forefront of strategy when I commenced my career over 35 years ago, it has played an increasing role in decision making. I have witnessed the changing tide during my time at Seaspan, Teekay, and Pioneer Marine and it is something I firmly believe needs to happen now. At e1 Marine, we understand the pathway to zero emissions is by no means straightforward. However, by taking into consideration the requirements of owners and operators and realities of our current bunkering infrastructure, we have successfully distinguished a solution for now.

After all, it really is now or never.

 

Published: 7 September, 2021

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Alternative Fuels

New agreements inked to advance marine electrification in Singapore

Lita Ocean, SeaTech Solutions, Pascal Technologies, and Evoy will develop a fully electric passenger harbour craft, specifically for Singapore, while Yinson GreenTech and Evoy will develop electric vessels.

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New agreements inked to advance marine electrification in Singapore

Innovation Norway and Team Norway on Wednesday (6 November) announced two agreements aimed at advancing sustainable maritime solutions, signed at the Singapore Norway Innovation Conference (SNIC) 2024.

The first agreement—a Letter of Intent (LOI)—was signed by Lita Ocean Pte Ltd, SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd, Pascal Technologies AS, and Evoy AS, to develop a fully electric high-speed harbour craft specifically designed for Singapore’s maritime landscape. The second agreement—a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)—was signed between Yinson GreenTech and Evoy, aiming to foster collaboration in marine electrification across Asia. 

The LOI signed between Lita Ocean, SeaTech Solutions, Pascal Technologies, and Evoy marks a key milestone in Singapore’s ongoing efforts to decarbonize its maritime industry. 

The project will develop a fully electric passenger harbour craft, integrating cutting-edge technologies like advanced electric propulsion and air lubrication systems to maximise energy efficiency and performance. This new vessel will set new standards for sustainable harbour operations and support Singapore’s green transformation goals in maritime transportation. 

Evoy sign MOU in Norway Singapore agreement 02

The collaboration builds on previous advancements in electric harbour crafts in Singapore, positioning the project as a critical step toward achieving maritime decarbonisation and a cleaner, greener future for the region. 

Additionally, Yinson GreenTech and Evoy have signed an MoU that will combine their strengths to drive marine electrification in the region. Yinson GreenTech’s electrification solutions, paired with Evoy’s electric propulsion systems, will support the conversion of internal combustion engine (ICE) vessels to electric power and foster the development of new electric vessels. 

This partnership is aimed at advancing the transition to a more sustainable maritime industry, with the shared goal of exploring new opportunities, collaborating on upcoming projects, and playing a key role in the broader transition to greener shipping solutions in Asia. 

The MoU was signed by Jan-Viggo Johansen, Managing Director of marinEV at Yinson GreenTech, and Mads Roland-Glimsholt, Business Development Manager at Evoy. 

“As a proud partner in this Norway-Singapore initiative, Evoy is excited to bring our high-performance electric propulsion systems to Singapore’s maritime landscape. We are committed to setting new standards in sustainable harbour craft and working with our partners to support a greener future in maritime transport” Mads Roland-Glimsholt, Business Development Manager at Evoy. 

 

Photo credit: Evoy
Published: 8 November, 2024

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Alternative Fuels

ExxonMobil supplies Hapag-Lloyd with B25 bio bunker fuel blend in Antwerp

Firm supplied Hapag-Lloyd vessel “Colorado Express” with 1,320 mt of B25 bio marine fuel blend, which consisted of ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50™ fuel and waste-based FAME derived from UCOME.

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Hapag-Lloyd

ExxonMobil on Thursday (7 November) said it supplied Hapag-Lloyd’s vessel Colorado Express with 1,320 metric tonnes (mt) of a B25 bio marine fuel blend in Antwerp. 

The blend consisted of ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50™ fuel, a 0.10% sulphur Emission Control Area (ECA) fuel, and waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME).

“The ‘drop-in’ blend met the requirements of ISO 8217:2017 with the exception of the FAME component. The FAME content complied with EN 14214,” ExxonMobil said in a statement.

“The bio component was made material certified as meeting the sustainability requirements of the RED II: feedstocks not in competition with land for food production.”

ExxonMobil’s bio marine fuel blend underwent a range of tests prior to delivery in Antwerp. 

The blend offered an estimated 20.1% well-to-wake greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction compared with conventional marine fuel formulations on an energy basis.

“Hapag-Lloyd aims at having net-zero carbon fleet operations by 2045. As part of that commitment, we are continuously looking for opportunities to onboard new bio blends in our fuels mix. We appreciate ExxonMobil’s efforts to supply us with a bio blend with ULSFO, which is another step forward in our decarbonisation journey,” said Ilyas Muhammad, Head of Green Fuels at Hapag-Lloyd. 

“We successfully bunkered bio-ULSFO blend at our Colorado Express and so far our operational experience with this product is positive. We look forward to increasing bio-ULSFO consumption in the future,” said Nikolai Doerner, Senior Manager Biofuels at Hapag-Lloyd.

The Colorado Express used the bio marine fuel blend without incident; both NOx and particulate emissions were within accepted limits.

“ExxonMobil is looking for ways to support our customers [to] reduce their GHG emissions,” said Pelin Gillis, Marine Fuels Sales Manager, BNL, ExxonMobil. “We are proud to have helped Hapag-Lloyd on their journey to a lower GHG emissions future.”

“ExxonMobil has greatly extended its range of ‘drop-in’ bio marine fuel blends,” said Armelle Breneol, Marine Fuels Technical Advisor, ExxonMobil. 

“We now offer a B25 ULSFO, a B30 VLSFO, a B7 MGO and a B10 HSFO. This will help our customers access the blend they need to meet their engine operations and GHG emission reduction goals.”

 

Photo credit: Hapag-Lloyd
Published: 8 November, 2024

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Biofuel

GoodFuels delivers B30 bio bunker fuel blend to cruise ship “Norwegian Dawn”

B30 biofuel blend, produced exclusively from feedstocks certified as 100% waste and residues, was supplied by FincoEnergies in partnership with KPI OceanConnect.

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GoodFuels delivers B30 bio bunker fuel blend to cruise ship “Norwegian Dawn”

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dawn recently received a GoodFuels B30 sustainable biofuel blend while docked at the IJmuiden Cruise Terminal in the Netherlands, according to GoodFuels on Thursday (7 November). 

The B30 biofuel blend, produced exclusively from feedstocks certified as 100% waste and residues, was supplied by FincoEnergies in partnership with KPI OceanConnect. It offers a sustainable alternative that avoids competition with food resources. 

“By choosing GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuel, Norwegian Dawn can achieve up to 80-90% reduction in lifecycle CO₂ emissions compared to traditional marine diesel—requiring no engine modifications to realise these benefits,” GoodFuels said. 

Beyond reducing carbon emissions, biofuels contribute to cleaner air quality along cruise routes. For vessels like Norwegian Dawn, this means fewer local pollutants such as sulphur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM), and black carbon, ultimately benefiting both the environment and communities near these waters. 

“We’re excited to support Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in their move toward cleaner cruising. By choosing sustainable biofuels, they’re driving down emissions and setting a strong example for the cruise industry” said Mayu Kubo, Commercial Manager, Marine Biofuels at FincoEnergies.

The initiative aligns with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd’s ‘Sail and Sustain’ programme, which advocates for the use of renewable fuels across 40% of its fleet. 

Related: GoodFuels ceases bio bunker fuel deliveries in Singapore after near three-year run

 

Photo credit: GoodFuels
Published: 8 November, 2024

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