In focus: New fuels to speed up shift to greener energy

As the race to decarbonize the industry continues it’s becoming more and more evident that green fuels are essential for the much-needed energy transition and will surely play a pivotal role in the road towards net zero.

Green methanol is rapidly emerging as a transformative marine fuel, leading the charge in the maritime industry’s quest for sustainable and eco-friendly shipping operations.

In the recent interview with OCI Global, a Dutch-based green methanol producer, the company stressed the power of collaboration for a smooth transition.

According to Barend van Schalkwyk, Business Development Director – Marine at OCI HyFuels, collaboration is key – partners from the ports, regulatory authorities, ship owners, storage providers, supply chain partners and producers like OCI all need to work together to make the change happen.

“It is our view that we should be helping all parties in the chain across various regions to make methanol as a marine fuel a success,” van Schalkwyk noted.

Despite the addition of 14 LNG-fueled ships during the month of July, the real star of the show is still methanol with a staggering 48 methanol-fueled ships, including retrofits joining the ranks.

The July orders have pushed the total count of methanol-fueled ships past the 200-vessel mark, Martin Christian Wold, Principal Consultant at DNV said.

Methanol’s dominance in the alternative fuel arena has been especially evident in the container shipping segment. Leading the charge are Evergreen’s 24 methanol-powered newbuilds and Hapag-Lloyd AG’s retrofits.

The advantages of Methanol lie in its lower carbon content and compatibility with existing ship engine technology, making it an attractive proposition for owners due to its maturity.

However, a possible contender may be entering the scene, a new marine fuel which was unveiled by Swedish firm ScanOcean and Finnish oil refining and marketing company Neste Oyi.

The new lower-emissions DMA Gasoil is produced by adding renewable raw material into the conventional refining process and by using mass-balance the fuel attains high GHG emissions reducing benefits while maintaining the quality and specifications of the fuel to ISO 8217. The fuel is certified according to ISCC plus.

According to the partners, Neste Marine 0.1 Co-processed could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 80%, compared to fossil DMA Gasoil. As of this week, a DMA co-processed with renewable raw materials is available as bunker fuel on the Swedish east coast.

“This is one of many key steps in ScanOceans journey to build a portfolio of sustainable products and services. As we soon enter a new regulatory landscape in European shipping, reducing emissions at low cost will be key and we aim to provide the best solutions for this, and the DMA co-processed with renewable raw materials is an extremely attractive fuel in this respect,” commented Jonatan Karlström of ScanOcean.

Last but not the least to mention is the introduction of a unique USV that is powered by biofuel-hybrid propulsion combo. The Netherlands-based RC Dock has unveiled its first fully classed uncrewed surface vessel designed for inspection, maintenance, repair (IMR) and survey operations.

The 12-meter catamaran is powered by a combination of 100% biofuel and a hybrid propulsion system – green technology which allows for carbon-neutral operations for over 30 days, with a 10-knot transit speed and a 7-knot survey speed, RC Dock said.

According to the Dutch company, the USV has been proven in harsh North Sea conditions during winter 2022-2023, demonstrating over 90% less CO2 emissions than conventional vessels.