Vale doubles ethanol-capable ship charters
Brazilian miner Vale will charter two ethanol-capable vessels from MOL Ocean Bulk, a subsidiary of Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, under a 25-year agreement.
IMAGE: Mitsui O.S.K Lines-owned vessel Tubarao Maru. Mitsui O.S.K Lines
The two 210,000-DWT ore carriers will be capable of running on ethanol, methanol and conventional fuels.
The design will also include an option for future conversion to LNG or ammonia, MOL said, without specifying their level of readiness.
The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2030 and will mainly be deployed to transport iron ore from Brazil to China and other global markets.
Earlier this year, Vale signed a separate 25-year charter agreement with China's Shandong Shipping for two ethanol-capable ships from 2029.
Complementing methanol
Engine makers such as Everllence and Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) are working on triple-fuel-capable engines that can run on both ethanol and methanol alongside conventional fuels.
The two alcohol fuels share technical characteristics that allow engines to be designed to use either fuel. Both are liquids at ambient temperatures, although differences in their energy content and combustion properties mean methanol-capable engines need to be specifically configured to handle ethanol.
Several other shipping companies are also exploring ethanol as an alternative fuel for methanol-capable vessels.
AP Moller-Maersk has bunkered 100% ethanol on three of its methanol dual-fuel container ships in the past year.
Singapore-based container line X-Press Feeders tested a blend of 90% biomethanol and 10% ethanol (E10) on one of its methanol-capable container ships in Rotterdam.
French shipping company CMA CGM bunkered its vessel CMA CGM Iron with 500,000 litres (approximately 395 mt) of bioethanol at the Port of Santos in Brazil. The fuel was delivered by Bunker One’s bunker barge Dona Isa.
By Konica Bhatt
Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online
