The Week in Alternative Fuels

Here are some key developments in alternative bunker fuels from the past week.

PHOTO: HMM's container ship Algeciras - the world's second biggest. HMM

Methanol has widely been put forward as a key short-term alternative to conventional marine fuels. There are mainly two things speaking in methanol's favour. It is said to be available to bunker in over 100 ports around the world, and large ship engines have been developed to consume it. Ammonia and hydrogen engines, by contrast, are still being developed and tested.

MAN Energy Solutions, a German engine manufacturer, says that bulk carriers have placed several orders for dual-fuel methanol engines in recent weeks. The global methanol-fuelled fleet is currently made up of just 25 vessels, but it is set to more than double with another 31 expected to join by next year, and 59 by 2028, according to data from the classification society DNV. Many of these new orders are for methanol-fuelled container ships.

Big newbuild orders from container giants such as A.P. Moller-Maersk, COSCO Shipping and CMA CGM have helped in bringing global attention to methanol in shipping. This week, South Korean shipping major Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) joined the growing club by announcing orders of dual-fuelled methanol engines for nine of its upcoming container ships.

In a major breakthrough this week, the European Commission (EC) published new definitions of renewable hydrogen that labelled low-carbon hydrogen produced with nuclear energy as renewable hydrogen. If this EC definition passes into law, then EU countries such as France would be free to use surplus nuclear electricity to produce hydrogen and classify their hydrogen as renewable.

Also hitting the nuclear headlines, nine South Korean container liners and research institutes have jointly agreed to develop nuclear-powered ships. Shipping firms such as H-Line Shipping, HMM, Wooyang Merchant Marine and Janggeum Merchant Marine are also partners in this project. The Korean consortium aims to build a small modular reactor (SMR) that can produce low-carbon energy to propel ships.

Hydrogen was also in focus. Finland's government adopted a resolution to ramp up green hydrogen production to sufficient levels to supply 10% of the EU’s demand by 2030. Wind power production capacity is being installed across the country, and a first large-scale green hydrogen production plant is being built by P2X Solutions in Harjavalta in southwest Finland.

By Nithin Chandran

Here is our selection of five top alternative fuels stories from this week:

Methanol engine demand from bulk carriers picking up - MAN ES

HMM joins race for methanol-fuelled vessels with $1.12 billion order

Nuclear-derived hydrogen included in EU green hydrogen definition

Korean shipping majors join project to build nuclear-powered ships

Finland adopts resolution to promote green hydrogen production