India’s shipping company Bapu’s Shipping Jamnagar on Sunday (9 February) announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Deendayal Port Authority on 8 February to develop a methanol bunkering facility at Kandla. 

The firm said the construction of India’s first bio-methanol bunker barge will be a key part of this initiative to cater to the growing requirement for sustainable maritime fuel. 

“India’s first methanol bunker barge will be constructed at Deendayal Port, marking a significant step in accelerating green shipping and decarbonisation,” said Bhupendra Sinh Jadeja, Managing Director of Bapu’s Shipping. 

“With global ports like Shanghai, Ulsan, Singapore, and Rotterdam advancing methanol bunkering, India is stepping up! Deendayal Port Authority has committed to providing necessary infrastructure support to fast-track the bunker supply chain.”

“We are honoured to be their channel partner in this transformative journey.”

Photo credit: Bapu’s Shipping Jamnagar
Published: 12 February, 2025

Editor's Note [12 February 2025] : Article updated on CEPSA 

Two projects involving ammonia and methanol bunkering infrastructures in the ports of Huelva and Algeciras in Spain were among 39 projects to receive funding under the first cut-off deadline of 2024-2025 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), according to the European Commission recently. 

The first ammonia bunkering infrastructure will be in Algecirasa as part of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley. The project aims to deploy a ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering system in the port of Algeciras. 

It includes a 7500 m3 ammonia bunkering vessel, an on-shore ship loading system and the piping infrastructure for the transport of ammonia from the production site to the loading dock.  

Meanwhile, the first methanol bunkering infrastructure will be in Huelva, also as part of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley. The project aims to deploy a ship-to-ship methanol bunkering system in the port of Algeciras. 

It includes a 7500 m3 methanol bunkering vessel, an on shore ship loading system and the piping infrastructure for the transport of methanol from the production site to the loading dock.

The coordinator for both bunkering projects is Spanish bunker fuel supplier CEPSA, which has been renamed to Moeve in October last year. 

The European Commission said the EU is allocating nearly EUR 422 million to the 39 projects that will deploy alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), contributing to decarbonisation. 

With this selection, the AFIF will support other projects including approximately 2,500 electric recharging points for light-duty vehicles and 2,400 for heavy-duty vehicles along the European TEN-T road network, 35 hydrogen refuelling stations for cars, trucks and buses, the electrification of ground handling services in eight airports and the greening of nine ports.

Following EU Member States’ approval of the selected projects on 4 February, the European Commission will adopt the award decision in the coming months, after which the results will become definitive. 

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has started the preparation of the grant agreements with the beneficiaries of successful projects.

Note: The full list of successful projects can be viewed here.

Photo credit: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash
Published: 11 February, 2025

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft recently said it launched the zero4cruise project at Freudenberg e-Power Systems in Munich, together with project partners Freudenberg e-Power Systems and German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Building on previous developments, zero4cruise focuses on fuel cell technology powered by green methanol, according to the company.

“The project addresses a critical challenge for the maritime industry: developing climate-friendly and low emission energy systems for cruise ships,” it said in a social media post. 

The project’s core goal is for DLR to create large scale fuel cell stacks and Freudenberg e-Power Systems to create fuel cell systems that can be retrofitted on existing ships. 

“This retrofit approach is key to accelerating the decarbonisation of the cruise sector, which is vital given the long operational lifespans of vessels,” it said. 

The hybrid energy system will combine PEM fuel cells with a methanol reformer and battery systems to optimize efficiency and ensure ships can operate carbon-neutral in ports and coastal areas.

“zero4cruise is not just about new technologies—it’s about creating practical, scalable solutions that can transform existing fleets into sustainable vessels, ensuring that ships in harbours and coastal areas can operate with low emissions,” Meyer Werft added.

Photo credit: Meyer Werft
Published: 6 February, 2025